


july & august - yours are the sweetest eyes i've ever seen

by woodchoc_magnum



Series: you can tell everybody this is your song [15]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Domestic Fluff, Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Family Drama, Fluff, M/M, Maddie Buckley is a Good Sister, Married Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Romance, Soft Eddie Diaz, Team as Family, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:02:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 33,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26729353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodchoc_magnum/pseuds/woodchoc_magnum
Summary: He thought about the first day they'd met; he thought about the first time Eddie had smiled at him. He thought about scaling a collapsing building with him in their first week of working together; he thought about meeting Christopher for the first time. He thought about them – their life, their family, their future. His home. His people. What he'd always been searching for.And calm seemed to seep through him, spreading from his stomach and out, rolling through his limbs, settling his racing heart, flowing through him like magic. It was just Eddie. There was no one else. Just Eddie.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: you can tell everybody this is your song [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816843
Comments: 184
Kudos: 477





	1. The Lead-Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SevenSoulmates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenSoulmates/gifts).



> Welcome to the Buckley-Diaz wedding, everyone.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this super-sized final chapter, and also the bonus content in Chapter 4.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to [SevenSoulmates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenSoulmates/pseuds/SevenSoulmates) for being there for me all the way through this crazy long journey - she's the one who wanted a big wedding and some romantic vows, please feel free to thank her for encouraging me to continue. 💕
> 
> I will be coming back to this universe and writing some one-shots in the future, but for now, I hope you enjoy this happily-ever-after for Buck and Eddie. 💖

"Let me get this straight," a semi-drunk mom said to Buck, leaning in close enough that he could smell pina colada on her breath, "you're a hot, handsome, tall, masculine, very tall, good-looking man and you're marrying another man next weekend and that other man is over there helping my friend un-stick herself from that pole?"

Buck bit back a grin. "Yes ma'am."

"This is what I mean," the woman groaned, turning to her equally drunk friend, sloshing her drink on Buck's uniform. "You get these beautiful guys, right – I mean, look at this one," she said, gesturing wildly at Buck, "and he's gay and getting married, like what a _waste._ "

"It's not a waste to me," Eddie called, the smart-ass. Drunk mom's friend was stuck to a pole, held firmly in place by a fly trap glue board. She was wearing a backless dress, and the glue had adhered to her skin, but she wasn't too bothered, working her way through a bright blue cocktail.

They were in the palatial backyard of a mansion in Beverly Hills, and there was some explanation about how they were playing a game, but all the women were too drunk to make any kind of sense.

Buck was on crowd control duties – not easy with a bunch of 40-something ladies staggering around on heels that were too high, on grass that was too soft, drinking cocktails that were too strong – and Eddie, Hen and Chimney were trying to carefully prise the woman from the pole without tearing her skin. Bobby had been bailed up by the homeowner, the husband of a particularly drunk woman in a tight red dress, who was arguing with him about where they'd parked the trucks in his driveway.

"You just need to be very careful of the surface!" he was shouting, red-faced and angry. "We imported those particular stones from Italy!"

Bobby had his hands up, trying to placate the man, but Buck was distracted when a hand slid down his back to his butt, and gave a hard squeeze. He whirled around, coming face-to-face with over-filled lips and cheeks, heavily caked mascara, and the beery breath of a woman in her mid-50s trying desperately to cling to youth. "I'll pay you one thousand dollars," she said in a husky voice, "to take your clothes off and dance for us."

"Ma'am!" Hen snapped from across the patio. "Leave the firefighter alone! We are here to do our jobs!"

Eddie glanced over furiously, right on the verge of losing his shit.

"And I'll pay a thousand for him to take his clothes off as well," the woman announced to the group. She gestured to Eddie, who hunched over and tried to ignore them, to cheers and celebration. A woman slid her hand across Eddie's back and Hen practically slapped it away.

"Ma'am, if you continue to hassle our firefighters, we'll call in the police," she warned, and the woman backed away, chastened. Eddie gave Hen a grateful look.

While some of the women were getting the hint, others weren't, and Buck's original harasser tried to grab for him again. He leapt away, toward the relative safety of the pool and snapped, "We're just trying to do our jobs. Give us a break, all right?"

"Five hundred for you as well," the woman said to Bobby, who was striding back over to them.

"Guess I'm free then," Chimney muttered. "All right, ma'am – they're going to have to free you at the hospital, so we're going to cut through this post."

"No, you're not!" a thunderous voice shouted. "That's a support beam!"

"Sir, it's a decorative column," Bobby responded with exasperation. "It's not supporting anything."

"I'm going to sue the LAFD!"

Bobby actually rolled his eyes and said, "Buck, keep the women away from the pole, and Chim, come with me to grab the saw from the truck." He added in a lower voice, as Chimney joined him, "And to make sure this guy doesn't throw a swing at me. Can't have a black eye before the wedding."

"No, you can't," Buck said, as someone else grabbed his ass. "Ma'am, excuse me," he snapped, backing away again. "Keep your hands to yourself."

The woman giggled at him, a sitting back in the lawn chair in a pink sundress pulled up to show her thighs. "I'll pay you a thousand dollars to fuck me."

"Holy shit," Buck said, horrified, backing away.

He heard Eddie snap, "Would you ladies _please_ keep your hands off my fiancé? Do not fucking touch him; he's just trying to do his job."

There was some muttering, and then someone shouted, "I'll pay a thousand dollars for you two to kiss, right now," and everyone cheered.

"Oh my god," Hen groaned, looking back and forth between them. "Buck, come over here and make sure you've got at least six feet between you and any women."

"This is boring," he heard someone complain as he went to stand next to them, his back to the pool.

Eddie was measuring where to cut the pole, and he glanced up at Buck and rolled his eyes. "Last shift for a month," he said. "It was always going to be a shitshow."

"If it's any consolation," the woman stuck to the pole said, "I think you're both really nice people and I hope you have a good wedding."

Buck smiled at her. "Thanks. Don't worry, they'll help you out at the hospital."

Bobby and Chimney returned with the saw, the homeowner trailing behind angrily. "If you cut that pole and the roof collapses, I'm suing you," he snapped. "What's your name and rank?"

Bobby turned to face him and said sharply, "Captain Robert Nash of the 118, and feel free to direct all complaints to the Chief himself. We're cutting this pole. Thank you."

Eddie braced the pole and Hen took a step back as Chimney cut through it easily – sure enough, it was decorative, and the inside was filled with foam. The homeowner looked embarrassed but defiant, his arms folded across his chest.

They helped the woman lie on her side on a backboard, and Buck and Eddie lifted it onto a stretcher. Buck became aware of a huddle of women whispering near him before it was almost too late, and the mouthy broad in the pink dress suddenly charged at him as if to push him in the pool.

Eddie shouted at her, but Buck was able to easily step out of the way, and she lost her footing on the tiles. Her high heel snapped, she came down heavily on her knees with a loud _crack_ , and momentum propelled her over and into the pool with a splash, leaving a trail of blood on the concrete.

"Holy shit!" Hen exclaimed, and then clapped her hands over her mouth.

"For fuck's sake," Buck heard Eddie mutter, and they exchanged a look before dropping into the pool together. The woman was on the bottom, and Buck dove down to pull her up to the surface. She gasped in a ragged breath of air and began to wail.

"We'll need another backboard," Eddie called, helping Buck guide her to the edge of the pool. "Looks like… a broken ankle, maybe a broken leg or… I don't know. Ma'am, just stay still, we're going to get you out."

~

"We should've left her in there to drown," Eddie grumbled later that evening. He'd been in a foul mood ever since they left Beverly Hills, and Buck was trying to cheer him up with a game of pool. That was a bad idea, because Eddie was terrible at pool and even with Buck trying to suck, he was _still_ losing.

Buck checked his watch. "Eight hours to go."

"Yeah, I know, but did our last shift really have to be a 24-hour one?" Eddie leaned over the pool table, lining up his shot, and managed to sink a ball. Knowing better than to praise him, Buck simply pinched his bum as he walked past. Eddie assessed the layout of the table and muttered, "And if anyone touches you again, I'll lose my shit."

"You very nearly did."

The station was quiet – everyone was in the bunks, getting some rest, but Eddie was too worked up to sleep, so Buck was keeping him company.

"Yeah, well." Eddie leaned over the table again, wiggling that perfect ass in Buck's face – yep, he was definitely doing it on purpose, and Buck admired the view with a grin.

"You want some tension relief?" he asked, right as Eddie took his shot – he missed, and cast a look over at Buck with a scowl. "Oops."

"You knew what you were doing." Eddie eyed him, and then put one finger on the ball that he'd failed to pocket, and gently nudged it into the corner. "Oops."

"Cheater."

"You love it." Eddie flashed him a wicked grin. "Take your shot."

"No, it's your turn. You got that one in. Maybe… come over to this side," he suggested, pointing to the spot right in front of him, " and lean over as far as you can, spread those legs… you know."

Eddie smirked, and did as he was told. "Like this?"

And just like that Buck was wide awake, biting down on his lip, watching as his soon-to-be-husband actually lifted his leg and put his knee on the edge of the table, leaning over to take the shot.

"Let's uh, let's… you win, huh?" Buck said, semi-hard already. "So let's… you want… I'm feeling kinda sweaty…"

"Are you?" Eddie bent over again, lining up another shot. "I haven't sunk all my balls yet."

"I could think of some better uses for your balls, though."

"God, you're lucky everyone is asleep." Eddie took another shot, missed, swore, and straightened up. "Fuck this."

"Fuck me though…" Buck raised his eyebrows hopefully. "Showers?"

"Backseat of my truck is nicer," Eddie replied smoothly.

"You're on."

They headed down the stairs together, chuckling, pausing so Eddie could grab his keys from his locker. Once in the backseat of the truck, on a hot, windy night in LA, Buck straddled his lap and kissed him, as Eddie's hands slipped up and under his t-shirt, roaming over his skin.

"A week to go," Eddie breathed when they parted, grabbing Buck's ass with both hands. "And you're all mine."

"I've been yours the whole time."

"But now it's official." Eddie leaned in to kiss him again eagerly.

Buck pulled his shirt up and over his head, and Eddie broke the kiss long enough to trail his lips down to suck Buck's pierced nipple before leaning back in again, cupping the back of his neck with one hand, and unbuckling Buck's belt with the other.

"We have one night alone before the wedding," Eddie said when they parted for air, "because my parents are taking Christopher to a Disney on Ice thing and then he's staying with them at their hotel – so we'll have the whole night, alone, just the two of us."

"And then the wedding night," Buck said against his lips, as Eddie freed his cock from his boxers and wrapped his hand around the length. "Mr Diaz."

"You too, soon." Eddie stroked him, letting out a breath, tilting his head back against the seat. "I love you."

Buck nodded, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I love you more."

"Are we still going to do this after we're boring and married?"

He laughed softly, nosing against Eddie's check, writhing in his lap. "Yes, please."

~

Their shift finished at 8am, and Buck addressed the group as they made their way to their cars with a whistle. "Listen up," he said, as everyone groaned. "Rehearsal dinner is Friday night; wedding is Saturday, we are going to be stressed out of our fucking minds for the next week, so you guys all need to be chill."

" _We_ need to be chill," Hen complained, exchanging a look with Chimney.

"You guys are working, we aren't," Eddie replied, throwing his bag into the backseat of his truck.

"So nobody gets injured and nobody dies, all right?" Buck said sternly, as they all rolled their eyes. "We don't want to hear about you guys on the news."

"Likewise," Chimney replied dryly.

Buck exchanged a look with Eddie, who grinned. "Listen, we've got a birthday party for one of Christopher's classmates on Sunday," he said, "complete with a bouncy castle, and I hope to god the winds are mild."

"Just make sure you don't climb in there with the kids, Buckaroo," Chimney called as he climbed into his car. "I'll see you guys for dinner on Wednesday."

"And I'll see you on Friday," Hen said with a smile, pulling them both in for a hug. "Have fun with wedding prep this week."

"Eddie's thrilled about it," Buck teased, and Eddie scoffed at him.

Bobby leaned against the trunk of his car, smiling at them. "No mischief this week," he said. "No disasters; no near-death experiences – you two have a nice, quiet week of wedding preparation and I'll see you on Friday for the rehearsal."

"Aye aye, Cap," Buck replied, laughing as Eddie attempted to elbow him. "You guys stay safe."

"Shouldn't be too difficult without you two around," Bobby replied smartly.

They parted ways, and Buck slid into the passenger seat beside Eddie, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "We're on holidays."

"A whole month," Eddie marvelled. "I don't think I've had a month off my entire life."

"Nice, huh?"

"Feels weird. How tired are you?"

"I'm all right for now, why?"

Eddie flashed him a smile. "You want to go check out Milo's new shop? Get some breakfast sandwiches?"

He bounced excitedly in his seat. "Yes! How'd you know it was opening today?"

"I heard you telling Maddie on the phone that you were going to surprise me," Eddie said with a laugh. "You know you talk really loudly when you're excited about something?"

"I thought you were asleep!"

"Nope, I was eavesdropping on you."

"Sneaky."

~~

Buck bounded into Milo's brand-new deli – same street, just a few doors down in one of the buildings that hadn't sustained major damage during the earthquake. There were no other customers in store, and as soon as Milo laid eyes on Buck, he held out his arms and shouted, "Buck!"

"Milo!" he cheered. "You're back in business!"

"And you two are my first customers!" Milo opened the counter, throwing his arms around Buck in a burly hug. "This is the man that saved my life, Eddie."

"I know all about it," Eddie replied, laughing as Milo released Buck and hugged him as well. "The place looks great."

"It's coming along, we're getting there," Milo replied cheerfully, squeezing Eddie's shoulder. "We're keeping the food truck going as well! It's been a roaring success. Not too long to the wedding, right?"

"Next weekend," Eddie replied.

Milo went back behind the counter, a huge smile on his face. "You two must be excited!"

"We can't wait," Buck said, perching on a stool, turning to the side so Eddie could slot between his legs. "Can you make us a couple of your famous breakfast sandwiches? We've just gotten off a 24-hour shift."

"Certainly! Juice, coffee?"

"I'll take a juice," Eddie said, slipping his arm around Buck's waist. "Babe?"

"Same for me – that one you made, with the red syrup in it? What was that?"

"Pomegranate juice!"

"That's the one. You'll like it, Eds." Buck looked up at him, raising his eyebrows, and Eddie retrieved the wedding invitation from his back pocket and handed it to him. "So are you busy on Saturday, Milo? Plans with Barbara?"

"No, no," Milo said, shaking his head, busily setting juice bottles out on the counter. "No, Saturdays I work in the morning and then in the afternoon I play bridge with my friends at the club."

"I know it's late notice," Buck said, delicately sliding the invitation across the counter, "but we were hoping you might be able to make it to the wedding."

Milo stopped what he was doing, blinking rapidly, staring at the invitation. "For me?"

"You can come and rate the food trucks we've got booked for the reception dinner," Eddie said with a grin. "We would've given this to you sooner, but every time we stopped by the food truck, Mario was in charge and you weren't there."

"That's Mario's baby," Milo said, a little choked up. "You want me to come to your wedding?"

"Of course we do," Buck replied. "You were my first friend in LA."

Milo shook his head in awe, tears in his eyes, and then nodded rapidly. "I would very much like that."

"You've got a plus one, so feel free to bring Barbara along," Buck said with a wink. "I know you two have got a little thing going on."

"Her husband died five years ago, it's too soon."

Buck laughed, his arms around Eddie's waist. "You gotta make a move, man! If Eddie hadn't tricked me into dating him, who knows where we'd be?"

"Oh, you two would've figured it out," Milo said, turning away from them to dab his eyes. "I'm so honoured. Thank you for inviting me."

"Just don't complain too much about the food," Eddie said with a grin. "We know it's not as good as yours."

Milo smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"And no need for a wedding present, okay?" Buck said to him. "No presents, no money. We don't need anything except your company."

"Well then," Milo replied, sliding over two freshly made juices, "your breakfast is on me. Now! Tell me, what colour suspenders would you like me to wear with my suit?"

~

Eddie's Texan family descended upon them the following day – his parents; Adriana and her husband, Grant, and their two children; Sophia and her husband, Martin, and their three kids; and his cousin, Miguel. Everyone was booked into hotels, but they all converged on Eddie's house for a pre-wedding get-together. Buck was manning the grill with a beer in his hand, laughing with Miguel and the two husbands, and Eddie found himself at a table with Sophia and Adriana, who made sure their parents weren't in earshot before leaning in close to him, one on either side.

"So," Adriana said, raising her eyebrows at him. "Your little speech last month might have actually worked."

"My little speech."

"Mmmhmm. How come you don't pull one of those spectacular speeches out when Soph and I are in town, huh?"

"Speaking of speeches, you've written your vows, right? Because we're meeting with the celebrant on Monday to nail down the final version of the script," Sophia said.

"He knows," Adriana snapped at her. "He's written them. Listen – what exactly did you say to them? Or should I ask Buck?"

"I just gave them an ultimatum, either they get on board with this or they don't, and we'd talk about it before the wedding," he replied, and gestured to them. "They're here, so…"

"And they're on board with it as far as we know," Adriana said to Sophia, who nodded emphatically. "You dangled future grandchildren over their heads, and I think that worked."

"I shouldn't have to dangle anything over their heads or make ultimatums," he murmured. "Either they want to be in my life, or they don't."

"Well, you're the male heir," Sophia remarked, her eyes trained on her phone. "The rules are different for you. Carrying on the family name and all."

"I already have," he replied, gesturing to Christopher, who was seated between his grandparents with what could only be described as a scowl on his face. His cousins were playing a game of tag in the backyard, and Christopher kept glancing over at them longingly, but every time he tried to get up, Helena would sit him back down again.

Eddie happened to glance over at Buck, who was watching from the grill. They made eye contact, and Eddie tilted his head towards Christopher. Buck nodded, handing the barbeque tongs to Martin before heading over to rescue Christopher from his grandparents.

"Uh oh," Adriana murmured, watching with interest. "Let's see how Mom and Dad do in this situation."

"Hey Chris," they heard Buck say. "You want to get in on the action over here?"

"Oh, he can't play that," Helena said, her arm around Christopher's shoulders protectively. "He's on crutches, Buck."

"He can if he rides around on my back," Buck said, kneeling beside Christopher, who smiled at him. "Come on, bud."

Eddie's parents watched, stunned, as Buck helped Christopher on his back, made sure he was secure, and then took off at a sprint after the other kids, who screamed and ran away. Adriana chuckled, glancing at Eddie. "He's good."

"He's the best."

"How many kids do you two want to have, anyway?" Sophia asked curiously. "Because three is a nightmare. Don't do it."

Eddie laughed. "I wouldn't mind three."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Martin wants us to have another, but I'm trying to talk him into a vasectomy." Sophia grinned at him. "Not that you and Buck will ever have to worry about that."

"Okay, okay."

~~

Buck carried a stack of dirty trays through the house to the kitchen, dumping them in the sink. He had a tres leches cake in the fridge (Isabel's recipe), and he took it out and placed it on the bench, hunting around for a knife to cut it into slices.

"Buck," Christopher called from the hallway. "Can you help me?"

"What's up?" he asked, wiping his hands on a towel. Christopher was standing outside the door to his room, a pained expression on his face. "You okay? Are you sick?"

"I hurt my hand," Christopher said, and held out his bloody palm. "I lost my balance."

"Oh, okay," Buck replied, helping Christopher out of his crutches and into the room. "Sit down, let me have a look at it."

"I grabbed the cactus," Christopher whispered, and screwed his face up. That damn cactus near the back steps - Buck had been meaning to do something about it ever since he moved in.

Sure enough, there were sharp spikes embedded in his palm. Buck hissed, flicking the lamp on, holding his hand under the light. "I'm going to dig that thing up and move it to the corner of the yard. Sorry, buddy. Let me go grab your dad; we're going to have tweeze these."

"I don't want Grandma and Grandpa to _know_ ," he complained.

"Yeah, I know," Buck murmured, retrieving his phone from his back pocket. "I'll text Adriana and help will be here in no time."

Less than a minute later the back door banged open, and Eddie appeared in Christopher's doorway, Adriana on his heels. "SOS?" he asked breathlessly. "What's wrong?"

"A cactus-related injury," Buck replied, picking through their medical kit. "Going to need your surgical expertise and for Adriana to distract everyone with cake."

"On it," she replied. "Cake's in the kitchen?"

"On the bench. You're the best."

"Right back at you, babe."

Eddie knelt in front of Buck and Christopher, examining his hand. "Did you lose your balance?"

"Yes." Christopher's lower lip trembled.

"He's being so brave; we've already gotten two out."

Eddie murmured, "I'm going to dig that thing up and burn it."

"No, I'll re-plant it." Buck put his arm around Christopher's shoulders reassuringly. "You want to take over, Doctor Dad?"

Christopher let out a giggle, and Eddie smiled up at him. "I think we can get all of these out, and then I'll put a nice dressing on it," he said. "This is going to sting a bit, so you just hold Buck's hand. I'll be as quick as I can."

"Okay," Christopher agreed, pressing his face against Buck's shirt.

Eddie had extracted a few of the prickles when Adriana appeared in the doorway, licking cream off her thumb. "Did you make this?" she asked Buck, who nodded. "Damn, boy. I see why Eddie's locked this down. Is this Abuela's recipe?"

"It sure is."

"She gave you her recipe," she stated, eyebrows raised as though she couldn't believe it. "Our Abuela gave you her recipe."

Buck shrugged. "She's given me lots of recipes?"

" _What?_ "

"Um…"

"She loves Buck," Eddie replied, holding Christopher's hand under the light again. "A few more to go, buddy. Can you please serve everyone the cake so that nobody comes looking for us?"

"Yeah, I'm getting there, jeez."

"Before Mom and Dad come in?"

"Oh my god, I'm _going_ ," Adriana complained. "You try to give a guy a compliment."

Buck waved her away, leaning over to watch Eddie delicately remove the prickles from Christopher's palm. "Did your crutches get caught on the grass?" he asked.

"I think so." Christopher let out a sigh, leaning against Buck. "When are they going home?"

Eddie chuckled, flashing Buck a grin. "Not for a week, but hey – this time next weekend we'll be married and having a big party, right?"

Christopher brightened. "Right."

"And you're going to see Disney on Ice with them."

Christopher deflated. "I don't want to go."

"Why not? I thought you were looking forward to it," Buck said.

"It's for babies."

Eddie raised his eyebrows, carefully extracting another prickle from Christopher's palm. "Ice skating is pretty cool. You might enjoy it."

"I don't want to go."

"What's going on?" Buck asked him in a low voice. "Why don't you want to spend time with your grandparents?"

"Because you two don't like them," Christopher mumbled.

Eddie gave Buck a horrified look, sitting back on his heels. "That's not true," he said, glancing over at the open door with concern. He stood and closed it, kneeling in front of Christopher again. "Listen – I love my Mom and Dad, but they're having a little trouble accepting that Buck and I are getting married. That's all. It doesn't mean we don't like them; it just means that we're having some arguments here and there. They _love you_ ," he said emphatically, "and we want you to spend time with them without worrying about us."

Christopher frowned, glancing up at Buck. "Why don't they want you to get married? Don't they like Buck?"

"They like Buck, they just don't like the fact that we're both men," Eddie replied, taking Christopher's hand again, and holding it under the light. "Sometimes people have a hard time adjusting to something they don't understand, but they're trying, and that's the most important thing."

"Are men not supposed to love other men?"

Eddie's eyes flicked to Buck. He said in a low voice, "It's traditional for men to be with women – biologically, that's what is _supposed_ to happen, but… not everyone wants to be with someone of the opposite sex. You can't help who you fall in love with."

Christopher still seemed confused, so Buck said, "It's a religion thing, bud. Not because it's wrong or bad. All throughout history, men have fallen in love with men, and women have fallen in love with women. Now we can get married legally, but just ten years ago, we couldn't. Society progresses and changes and moves forward, and your dad and I can live our lives together openly."

"And we're not raising you religious," Eddie added. "You can choose that later on if you want."

"But you were," Christopher said to him, and he nodded.

"Yeah, we're technically Catholic, but… I'd prefer you to make your own choice about that rather than me telling you what you should do."

"That's the important thing," Buck said. "You have the choice to live your life how you want. You choose your religion. You choose your friends. You choose your family. You choose your partner – or if you even want a partner. We will give you all the support you want, but at the end of the day, your happiness is what we want. And we want you to make those decisions yourself."

Christopher smiled at them. "Okay."

"And Chris, that your grandparents are really trying to change their minds about this. They're coming to the wedding; they're here supporting us now. I don't want you to feel like you're in the middle." Buck smiled at him reassuringly.

"And you don't have to take sides, because none of this is about you," Eddie added, extracting another prickle from his palm. "They'll come around, and everything will be fine." He set his tweezers down, and gently ran his fingers over Christopher's palm, searching for any stray prickles he might have missed. "Okay, buddy, I think I might've gotten them all, but can you make a fist for me?"

Christopher gingerly closed his fist and opened it again. "It stings but I think you got them all," he said, screwing his face up.

"All right, we'll go wash your hand off and then I'll wrap it up." Eddie kissed him on the forehead, gave Buck a kiss on the cheek as well, and stood up. "So listen – if you really don't want to see Disney on Ice, we'll talk to your grandparents and maybe there's something else can you do with them."

Christopher glanced up at Buck, who said, "I think you'll like it, buddy. I really do."

"Okay," Christopher agreed. "I'll go."

~

Ramon and Helena exclaimed over Christopher's injured hand when they returned to the backyard, and Buck left Eddie to deal with it, wandering around with a garbage bag, collecting rubbish. He ended up plopping down beside Sophia for a bit, who flicked through some photos on her phone to show him the floral arrangements she'd organised. He had no idea what he was looking at, but the flowers looked good, as far as he could tell.

He left Sophia and dumped the rubbish bag in the bin, before heading back inside to grab another. It was as he was returning to the backyard that he realised the light was on in his and Eddie's bedroom, and the door was open a crack. He paused outside, listening, and then pushed it open.

Helena was rummaging through their chest of drawers, lifting piles of clothing. Buck asked mildly, "What are you doing?"

She let out a shriek, whirling around, her hand over her heart. "Jesus Christ! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Buck eyed her. "Why are you looking through our clothes?"

Helena slammed the drawer shut, shaking her head. "I wasn't."

"You were. Do I need to ask Eddie to come in here or can you just tell me what you were looking for?"

She wrung her hands together, eyeing him guiltily. "I just… thought I might find something in here that Christopher shouldn't be around."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Sex stuff."

Buck was forever grateful that he'd hidden their sex toys right at the top of their wardrobe, in the back corner, where only he could reach them. They were hidden away in a shoebox, blocked by winter clothes and blankets. He hadn't thought it was necessary at the time, but clearly it was.

"Our sex life is none of your business," he said, trying to keep his tone calm and even.

"Yes, but your bedrooms are quite close together and we're concerned that Christopher is being exposed to things he shouldn't."

"He's not. You have no reason to worry. Do you ask Adriana and Sophia these sorts of questions?"

Helena stared at him, and finally admitted, "No."

"If Eddie knew you were in here, he'd throw you out. I don't know what you think he and I do, but we're two adults and we have sex, and we make sure that Christopher is not exposed to that." He shrugged, and she looked away guiltily. "Do you really think that we're sexual deviants or something?"

She sighed. "No."

"Then… why do you think it's okay to search our bedroom? I don't come to your house and look through your things."

Helena was silent for a moment, her eyes on the floor. "I know how much he loves you," she finally murmured. "I'm just scared for him."

Buck closed the door, folding his arms across his chest. "Why?"

"Because you're a man, Buck."

"So?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "Because you're… not what we wanted for him. You're a very nice person – you're lovely, actually, but… we wanted him to marry a Latina woman and have more children, move back to El Paso. You aren't what we want."

"But I'm what he wants," Buck replied, nodding to the pictures on the wall. "He's the love of my life."

Helena gazed at the arrangement of photos with a sorrowful expression. "I know."

"It's 2021, Mrs Diaz… your son is in love with me, and we get married on Saturday, and if I tell him that I caught you in here and that we had this conversation, he will uninvite you."

"I know," she said again, and sighed heavily.

Buck took a seat on the end of the bed, and she wandered over to sit beside him, looking up at the photos. Buck said quietly, "Why are you so hard on him?"

She was silent for a few long moments, and then she murmured, "Ramon desperately wanted a son, and when we had Adriana first… he was concerned it wouldn't happen. Thankfully, Eddie came along next, and… the weight of the world was on his shoulders because he was named after Ramon's father. There were extremely high expectations for him. We hoped he would go to university – maybe be a doctor, maybe… a lawyer. We wanted him to be successful."

He nodded, thinking to himself that it sounded stupid, but kept his mouth shut.

"He didn't try very hard in school and so he didn't apply to college. He worked with Ramon for a while, did some fighting on the side, played baseball… and then he met Shannon. As much as I love Christopher," she said tearfully, "I never liked that woman, and I have never forgiven her for what she did."

"Shannon's dead," Buck said, and when Helena turned to him with surprise, he shrugged. "You've got to let that go - there's no use hating a dead woman. She was Christopher's mom and both he and Eddie loved her, so… you've just got to get over it."

"He did everything he could—"

"He's told me all about this and I know they were both at fault," Buck cut in. "We don't need to rehash it – it was a long time ago. Everyone makes mistakes, and I know you did too. Eddie's incredible… I need you to understand that. He's intelligent and resourceful, he's brave to a fault, he's selfless… he's great at his job, and he's an incredible father. Just because you had an idea of how he should turn out, doesn't mean it was right. Your son is the best person I've ever met in my whole life, and I knew that from day one… well, two," he admitted. "I'm honestly so lucky that he loves me back. Don't make him feel guilty for his happiness."

Helena wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. He doesn't have to know about this."

"You're a very good man, Buck. A decent man. Christopher loves you so much."

"I love him too, with all my heart," he replied quietly. "I would do anything for either of them – for any of you. You're my family now too."

She gave him a tearful look. "Your parents are…"

"Awful."

"Yes. I'm sorry about that."

"It is what it is. It's easier to accept the older I get," he said, as the door to the room opened, and Eddie stepped in, a concerned expression on his face. "Hi, my love."

Eddie relaxed and smiled at Buck, but his eyes flicked to Helena cautiously. "Is everything okay?"

"We're just talking," Buck replied. "Nothing to worry about."

"Everyone's getting ready to leave," Eddie said, hovering in the doorway. "Dad's ordered an Uber to take you to the hotel."

"Okay, Eddie." Helena patted Buck on the knee and stood. She paused in front of Eddie and held her arms out, and he embraced her, glancing at Buck over her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied quizzically.

~

Buck finished tucking Christopher in and switched off the light, rubbing his eyes as he wandered out to the kitchen. Eddie was at the table, a cup of tea in front of him, and he looked up when Buck entered the room. "Are you going to tell me why you were in our bedroom with my mother?"

"Did you leave enough hot water for me?" Buck countered, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Of course I did. There's some of that fancy hot chocolate you like in the cupboard."

"Nah, I'll have some tea." Buck made himself a cup, added milk and sugar, and sat down across from Eddie. "I caught her looking in our drawers for all of our sex stuff. You know, because we lead a wild and crazy sexual lifestyle."

Eddie looked horrified. "She wasn't."

"She was, but we talked it out. Might've had a breakthrough." Buck sipped his tea, reaching across the table to take Eddie's hand. "No need to lose your shit."

"You hid everything."

"Oh yeah, she'll never find it." Buck grinned at him. "Not that it's even that bad, Eds. We haven't even tied each other up yet."

Eddie blushed, shaking his head. "I don't know."

"Like a shy little virgin."

"No," he objected. "Just… cautious."

"You won't hurt me."

"No, that's not what…" he trailed off, chewing on the inside of his lower lip, his brow furrowed. "I just don't really need all that stuff," he finally said, glancing at Buck uncertainly. "It's nice once in a while, but I love it when… it's just you and me. I can make you come without that stuff."

"Believe me, I know you can."

"Maybe I'm too vanilla."

"Says the man who loves to sink his teeth in whenever he can," Buck teased.

"That's different." Eddie sipped his tea, playing with Buck's fingers. "What'd you say to her?"

"That she's being a dumbass, and if she wanted to come to the wedding, she needed to cut it out, but nicer than that."

"I would've gotten angry."

"I know. I asked her if she does this stuff to Sophia and Adriana and she couldn't answer me." Buck sipped his tea again. "But we talked, and maybe… I got through to her? I don't know."

"I hope so." Eddie stood suddenly, moving around the table to sit in Buck's lap. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to talk about how you are the best fiancé in the world, and your food was delicious tonight, and how everyone loves you. I love you."

Buck smiled up at him. "I love you more."

"Not at all possible," Eddie replied, running his fingers through Buck's hair, examining his face. "What's that song? The one you love? _I've hungered for your touch…_ "

" _Unchained Melody._ "

"How come it's not our wedding song?"

"It's about being apart," he replied, sliding both arms around Eddie's waist. "It's beautiful, but…"

"It's not our song," Eddie said quietly.

"No. Doesn't mean it won't be played and that I won't make you dance with me though." Buck leaned in for a kiss, whining a bit when Eddie pulled away with a grin. "Kiss me."

"I just want to look at you," Eddie murmured, running a finger over Buck's face. "You're so beautiful."

"You are."

"We're so lucky." Eddie smiled at him with eyes full of emotion. "I always wanted this."

"Me too."

"Have you written your vows yet?"

Buck shook his head. "I can't… everything I write sounds stupid."

"I left you that note, though," he said with concern, casting his fingers through Buck's hair. "Did you see my note?"

"Yeah, I did… and I think about them a lot," he admitted, swallowing hard. "The photos scattered on the driveway… the way they were holding hands. It was one of my worst calls."

He nodded slowly. "I know."

"And I don't know if I want to think about that on my happiest day."

"Okay." Eddie pushed his hands through Buck's hair, tilting his head back, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Then don't write anything and just speak from the heart."

"But you've probably written something heartfelt and lovely and I'm going to get up there and screw this up for us."

Eddie chuckled gently, shaking his head. "I was going to wing it as well."

"You are?"

"Yeah, because… I tell you all the time how much I love you," he said, examining Buck's face again, leaning in to kiss his birthmark. "I just… don't like being vulnerable in front of people."

"I know." Buck ran his hands up and down Eddie's back.

"So we're winging it."

"Yeah, fuck it, let's wing it." Buck leaned in for another kiss, humming happily when Eddie obliged. "You want me to take you to bed, Mr Diaz?"

"Yeah, carry me," Eddie murmured, kissing him again. "I like it."

"I know you do. Come on."

They left their cups in the sink, and Buck carried Eddie down the hall to their bedroom, flicking lights off in the house as they went. Once inside with the door locked, he pressed Eddie up against the wall and gave him a hot, open-mouthed whore of a kiss, and Eddie moaned beneath him, grabbing his shirt, his legs wrapped around him.

'I love you' was whispered like a confession each time they parted – Buck could never get enough of saying it. He needed Eddie to _know_ , every single day, unequivocally. He carried Eddie over to the bed and laid him down on his back, divesting him of his clothes, and then dropping to his knees on the floor, bent over the side of the bed, swallowing down his perfect cock.

Eddie propped himself up on an elbow, his legs hanging over the side of the bed, carding his fingers through Buck's hair as he gave him a slutty, messy blow job. Eddie's breathing hitched every so often, his chest rising and falling, and he fell back on the bed, gripping the sheets.

~~

"This is ridiculous," Eddie grumbled to Buck, standing under a lemon tree in the backyard of Debra's mansion. "Unbelievable."

Buck had his arms folded across his chest, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, shaking his head. "She's gone all out."

Indeed she had – her enormous backyard was a veritable carnival playground for the kids, with a jumping castle, a very small Ferris Wheel, a cotton candy station, an ice cream station, a Build-a-Bear station and a petting zoo in the corner. Christopher was off with his friends, sitting on the grass with a bunny in his lap, and Buck left Eddie, phone in hand, jogging over to take some snaps of him.

"So," Meredith said, sidling up beside Eddie. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a gross waste of money," Eddie said tightly. "She's a show-off."

"Have you ever seen the show _Big Little Lies_? She's Renata Klein in a nutshell," Meredith said knowingly.

Debra was holding court with a group of parents, refilling drinks, dressed in a giraffe-print jumpsuit with a wide-brimmed hat. Eddie hadn't been sure why Christopher had been invited to the party, or why he and Buck were expected to come along, but now he understood that it was to show off their wealth.

"When's the big day?" Meredith asked him, gesturing to his engagement ring.

"Saturday," he replied, flashing a smile. "Can't wait."

"Yeah, I bet. Make sure you take the time to enjoy the little things on the day, you know? The whole thing can rush by so quickly."

"Will do," he replied, as Buck loped back over to join him.

"Problem," he said to Eddie. "For some reason they're letting kids swim in the pool with no one really watching, so I'm going to go play lifeguard."

"I'll grab us some food and drinks and join you," Eddie replied, patting him on the back. "Chris is okay?"

"Yeah, he's in heaven with that bunny," Buck said with a grin. He headed over to the pool and took a seat on the grass in the corner, keeping a watchful eye on the kids playing in the water.

"I'll catch up with you later," Eddie said to Meredith, and made a beeline for the nacho station, making himself and Buck a big bowl to share, grabbing a couple of drinks from the clown at the drink station and then joining Buck on the grass near the pool. He sat with his back to the pool, so he was able to keep an eye on Christopher, who was still hugging a bunny and sitting with a group of his friends.

"Should we get him a pet?" Eddie asked Buck.

"I think pets are good," Buck replied through a mouthful of food. "We probably couldn't have a dog though – the yard is too small, and you and I don't really have time to take it for a walk."

"No." Eddie scooped a healthy amount of jalapenos with his corn chip and popped the whole thing in his mouth. "A cat?"

"He loves cats," Buck replied. "Anything small and fluffy."

"Cats though."

"We had a cat when I was a kid; his name was Ted and he was ginger," Buck replied. "He'd let you do anything to him – I used to put him in a wagon and drag him around with me outside. Maddie had a little outfit she used to dress him up in, and he used to alternate sleeping with us. When she moved out, he was my cat."

Eddie frowned. "Ted died, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but he was an old man. He died right before I finished high school – we had him for fifteen years." Buck's eyes were trained on the pool. "I just can't believe they didn't hire a lifeguard. You and I are the only two adults in here. And look how slippery the tiles are."

Eddie cast a look around. "I'll go say something to her," he decided, but had another corn chip before he stood. "I'll be right back."

He cut through the parents and kids, searching for the blonde in the giraffe-print jumpsuit, and found her holding court with a group of mothers. Meredith was standing at the back of the group, a glass of wine in her hand, and she rolled her eyes at Eddie as he approached.

"And so I said to the woman – Janine, if little Annabelle can't play with my Heavenly in a nice way, where they both share the dolls, then she's going to have to leave. And both girls were upset, you know, but Annabelle wasn't letting Heavenly play with the mermaid Barbies _at all_ and I don't really think that's appropriate," Debra was saying, but when Eddie tapped her on the shoulder, she whirled around with surprise. "Oh. Eddie."

"Yeah, is there a lifeguard for the pool or…"

"The children are ten years old," she said flatly. "They're fine. Enjoy the party."

"I'm pretty sure you need to at least have someone watching the pool to make sure nobody drowns, and there are younger children here as well."

"Nobody's going to drown," she said, as a scream rang out through the backyard. "What was that?"

Eddie heard Buck's shout and sprinted back to the pool area. Buck was in the water, a child in his arms, only four or five. "What happened?" Eddie asked him, kneeling on the side of the pool, holding his hands out so Buck could transfer the little boy to his arms.

"He slipped on the tiles, hit his head and fell in," Buck replied, hauling himself out of the water. "Someone call 911!"

"Oh, really?" Debra's exasperated voice wafted through the yard. "Kids get hurt!"

There was a smear of watery blood on the child's forehead. He wasn't breathing, so Eddie began to administer CPR, as the child's mother let out a shriek and fell to her knees beside them.

"He'll be okay; Eddie's a medic," Buck reassured her.

It took another thirty seconds, but soon the little boy coughed, spewed water, and began to wail. Eddie sat back on his knees, glancing at Buck. "Ambulance is on the way?"

"Yeah, Meredith called them," Buck replied, squeezing his shoulder. "I'll go check on Christopher; you wait here."

Eddie leaned over to check the little boy again. "What's your name, pal?"

"Jordan," he said with a grimace, and began to cough again.

"You're going to be okay. Help is on the way." He glanced up at the mother – he'd seen her at the school here and there, but they'd never been introduced. "It looks like he hit his head pretty hard, so he might have a concussion. They'll have to check him out at the hospital."

"Oh, is that really necessary?" Debra cut in, standing over them. "We're having a party."

The little boy's mother met Eddie's eyes, clenched her teeth, and stood up slowly. "What did you just say?"

"He's fine," Debra said patronisingly. "We're having a nice party! He just needs a minute and then we can resume. We haven't cut the cake or opened presents yet."

The sound of a horse whinnying filled the air, and everyone froze, looking at each other.

~~

"Maybe we don't tease the horse, kids," the petting zoo owner said desperately, as his previously calm horse became increasingly agitated.

Buck had a hold of Christopher, who was still clutching the bunny – the most placid bunny in the world – as the group of children surrounding the horse shrieked and laughed. The horse reared up on its hind legs, let out an almighty whinny, and charged against its ropes as the children ran away screaming.

"Oh no, Daffodil! Please calm down!" the man begged, but she reared up again, snapping her rope, and charged through the small fence and down the backyard towards the group of adults surrounding the pool.

There was a huge scream as everyone scattered. The petting zoo owner chased after her, his hands over his head in anguish.

"Wow," Christopher said, awestruck.

A goat trotted past them, bleating pitifully.

The horse was on a rampage, and people were leaping into the pool. Buck caught sight of Eddie, the little boy who'd nearly drowned in his arms, backed up against a fence, shielding him protectively. Debra staggered out, holding her hands up, shouting at everyone to calm down, and didn't notice the goat charging up behind her until it rammed into the back of her knees and sent her flying face-first onto the grass.

Buck winced, lifting Christopher up into his arms, the bunny tucked against his chest. "You know we can't keep the rabbit," he said to Christopher, who pouted at him. "It belongs to the petting zoo."

"I just want to hold him for now."

"Okay." Buck checked to make sure there were no remaining goats in the pen, and then started up the grass. There was an almighty crash as the horse charged through a door and into the house, screams echoing out to the yard.

"Buck?" Eddie was calling, looking around desperately.

"We're here!" Buck shouted, striding up the grass with Christopher in his arms.

Relieved, Eddie hurried over to them, the boy's mother following behind. "Let's get out of the path of destruction here," he said, tilting his head to a picnic table, "and I'll check Debra."

They could hear sirens as they convened at the picnic table. Eddie lay the little boy down carefully and tucked his jacket under his head as a pillow. Buck sat Christopher and the bunny down at one end, and said, "I'll let them know where we are."

"Okay," Eddie replied, pulling him in for a quick kiss before his eyes settled on the bunny in Christopher's lap. "Buddy, we're going to have to put the bunny back."

"But he's so floppy and cuddly," Christopher complained.

Buck raised his eyebrows at Eddie and jogged up to the house, following the path of destruction. A very distressed horse stood in Debra's palatial entryway, snorting and backing away as the petting zoo owner spoke softly to it, trying to calm it down. The goat was chewing on a curtain and gave Buck a cursory look as he passed by.

Most of the parents and children were out in the driveway, and the 118 engine and ambulance were parked near the large turnaround area. Bobby was in the middle of a group of angry parents, completely bewildered, but it was Chimney who spotted Buck and shouted, "What are you doing here?"

"And what the hell happened?" Hen asked, following behind him with the backboard. "It was a report of a child drowning!"

"Yeah, and then there was a stampede," Buck replied, gesturing to the horse, which was taking a dump on Debra's lovely marble floors. "Follow me."

"How come you're at this mansion?" Hen demanded as they headed out into the backyard.

"Birthday party," Buck replied, coming to a stop beside Eddie, who was kneeling beside Debra on the lawn. "Is she okay?"

"Broken nose, I think," Eddie replied, looking up at Hen and Chimney with a grin. "Hey guys."

"At least you two aren't injured," Chimney said sarcastically.

"And the boy?" Hen asked Buck, who led her over to the table. "Oh, hey Christopher!"

"Hi Hen," Christopher replied, holding up his bunny. "This is Thumper."

"Super cute!" she said with a grin, and then checked the little boy, who was weeping as he held his mother's hand.

"He took a hard fall into the pool and hit his head on the way down," Buck explained. "I jumped in, but he was under for a good thirty seconds and breathed in a lot of water. We had to perform CPR."

"His name is Jordan," his mother said to Hen.

"Okay," Hen said gently, leaning over him. "Hi Jordan. I'm going to make sure you're okay and then we're going to take you to the hospital in the ambulance, all right? Lights and sirens; very exciting."

"How's everyone doing out here?" Bobby called, and then said in disbelief, "Eddie, is that you?"

"Yeah, Cap," Buck heard Eddie reply. "Buck and I are guests."

"Buck's here too," Bobby repeated, and spotted him. "Just can't stay out of mischief."

"You know us, we like to keep things interesting," Buck replied with a grin.

~~

Christopher reluctantly handed the bunny back to its owner, and then pouted all the way home in the backseat of the car. Buck had wanted to offer the guy money for it, but Eddie had squashed that idea instantly – so _he_ had a bit of a pout on as well.

Once they were inside, Eddie addressed his boys. "We can't get a rabbit," he said, as Buck and Christopher sighed in unison. "We're not equipped to look after a rabbit. I knew a girl in El Paso who had two – you have to make sure they have their own space, where they can't chew anything, and they're social so they need a friend. It wouldn't be fair to the bunny if we're at work all the time and you're at school," he said to Christopher, who heaved another sigh.

"We could've made it work," Buck complained.

"No, we couldn't, and I don't want to adopt a pet only to have to give it up," Eddie replied, _hating_ to be the bad guy. "Listen – when we get back from Hawaii, we could talk about getting a cat."

"A _cat_ ," Christopher breathed, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"

"Yes, _but_ we will go to a shelter and adopt one, and we might look at getting an adult cat rather than a kitten," Eddie replied. "I know you loved the bunny, but he's already got a home."

"I know," Christopher murmured. "I just want a pet."

"That's why we'll look into a cat – cats might be the best fit for us," Eddie said firmly. "But first, we have a honeymoon to go on, so you two stop pouting. What are we doing this afternoon now that the party has been cancelled?"

"I need to work on my speech for the wedding," Christopher said, starting over to the hallway. "So you two need to leave me alone."

"Leave you alone," Buck repeated with an exaggerated gasp, and Christopher began to giggle. "I thought you'd written it."

"Nope!"

"Maybe we could help," Eddie suggested.

"Nope!" Christopher went to his room, still giggling. "It's a surprise!"

Buck shrugged at Eddie. "So what are we doing, stud?"

"You want to go through our holiday checklist and make sure we've done everything?"

"Sure." Buck kissed him on the cheek. "I'm just going to take a quick shower first," he said, unbuttoning his shirt. "I smell like chlorine."

"Yeah, I'll jump in with you," Eddie said, following him down the hallway. He checked on Christopher, who was sitting on his bed with a notebook spread out in front of him, and then joined Buck in the bathroom. "Hey, you know why I said no to the bunny, right?"

"Yeah, I get it," Buck replied, stripping out of his clothes. "I just hated to see him hand it back."

"If all it takes is for him to pout to win you over, we're in trouble," Eddie warned. "Because he's smart and he will use it against you. You have to say no sometimes."

Buck stuck his lower lip out. "But he's my little buddy. I don't want to disappoint him."

"Baby," Eddie said seriously, sliding his arms around his waist. "He's _your son._ You have to set limitations – he can't have everything that he wants. He won't love you any less."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, he still loves me, and I say no to him all the time," Eddie teased. "But seriously, no bunnies, all right? They're too much work. I'd rather have a cat."

Buck nodded, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Okay," he said with an impish grin. "A cat it is."

"Good. God, how much chlorine does she put in her pool?" Eddie complained, his nose pressed against Buck's skin. "You reek."

"Well, you better lather me up real good then," Buck replied, leaning in to turn the water on.

They stepped under the spray together, and Eddie did as he was told, pouring a copious amount of shower gel onto his hands and washing Buck thoroughly. Any excuse to put his hands all over him, he thought to himself, but it was almost as if Buck could read his mind – he turned around, pushed him up against the wall and kissed him hungrily.

And suddenly the image of Debra being charged by a goat popped into his head and he snorted with laughter against Buck's lips, breaking the kiss.

"What?" Buck asked. "What'd I do?"

"No, it's mean."

"Mean? About me?"

"No, I just…" Eddie bit down on his lower lip and then said, "when that goat lined her up—"

"Oh my god," Buck groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, shaking his head. "Eds, I've never fought so hard in my life not to laugh."

"And I mean, obviously I feel bad _now_ , because she broke her nose, but… I knew it was going to happen before it happened, and it was the _funniest thing I have ever seen._ "

"I know, I know," Buck said, a huge grin on his face. "I'll never forget it."

"Do you think it might knock her down a peg or two? Pun intended."

"Nah, it might make her worse." Buck kissed him again, and then said, "Your turn. Did you get a little too close to that horse?"

Eddie slapped his shoulder playfully.

~

Monday was spent in a flurry of wedding preparation – final suit fittings for both grooms and Christopher, followed by a trip to the bakery to confirm the final design for the cake. They had dinner with the entire Diaz family at a Mexican restaurant that Aunt Pepa had booked out for their group. Maddie and Chimney were invited along as well, as honorary extended members of the family. Adriana and Sophia monopolised Maddie for the entire night, but Chimney found new friends in Martin, Grant and Miguel and spent the night animatedly telling them some of his best firefighting stories.

The girls were getting together on the Tuesday, so Buck and Eddie were off the hook. They decided to spend the day at home, packing for their holiday. When a thunderstorm rolled over the city in the late afternoon, Eddie didn't think too much of it until a lightning strike knocked the power out, and with it, the air-conditioning.

He and Buck shared a dismayed look. Christopher groaned from his bedroom and shouted, "Dad, the power!"

"I know," Eddie replied, raking a hand through his hair – he'd let it grow a little bit for the wedding. "And it's so hot," he complained to Buck, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Should we wait for the storm to pass and go out?"

Buck checked his watch. "Hey, how about we take Chris to Dave & Buster's?" he suggested. "We've always planned to and never gotten around to it. And it might be nice to relive our first date."

Eddie smiled at him. "Best thing I ever did, tricking you into that."

"So ballsy," Buck said admiringly. "You really know how to woo a guy."

"You're the only one I've ever tried to woo."

Buck pulled him in by the waist, brushing a kiss to his lips. "God, when I realised… I can't remember ever being happier. You really liked me, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd say I liked you _a bit_ ," Eddie teased, and kissed him firmly.

"Aw, gross," Christopher said with disgust. "Stop it."

They broke apart, and Eddie admonished him with a look. "You stop it."

"No, you!"

~

The power was only out in their area. Dave & Buster's was relatively quiet on a weeknight, and they bought some tickets and wandered through the arcade, picking games at random. Christopher shrieked with delight – he and Eddie teamed up against Buck until Buck complained that it was unfair, and that having two Diaz boys versus one Buckley was a clear advantage, and they needed to even the playing field. Christopher defected to Buck's side, but as soon as they defeated Eddie at a skills tester and Eddie stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout, Christopher immediately crumbled.

"Dad," he complained, throwing his arms around him in a hug. "I'm sorry."

Buck was shaking his head at him knowingly. "You are a bitter man, Eddie Diaz. Bitter and spiteful."

Eddie stuck his tongue out and patted Christopher's back. "It's okay. Let's get some dinner."

They ordered a pizza and some nachos to share. Christopher wanted one side of the booth to himself, grinning gleefully at them, so Eddie settled in beside Buck, who draped an arm around his shoulder.

"This is where we had our first date," he said to Christopher. "Last year."

"Where was I?"

"At camp."

Christopher frowned. "You came _here_ without _me?_ "

"Sorry, buddy. We're here now though," he pointed out, and that seemed to appease him. "I beat Buck pretty easily last year."

"You did not."

"Yeah, because he didn't have the upper body strength that he does now, you see," Eddie said with a grin, squeezing Buck's bulging bicep, "and it was easy. He wasn't a very good loser."

Christopher was giggling, his hands over his mouth.

Buck shook his head. "Don't believe a word of it; it's all lies."

They smiled affectionately at each other.

"How did you ask him out?" Christopher asked.

"I didn't," Eddie replied. "I just told him we were getting a drink."

"Then how did you tell him it was a date?"

"He blindsided me when we were buying our tickets," Buck said dryly.

"But what if you hadn't wanted to go on a date?" Christopher asked curiously.

Buck shook his head. "No chance of that, kiddo. I'd been wanting to ask your dad out, but I wasn't sure how."

"You were?" Eddie asked, glancing at him with surprise.

"Yeah, of course," he replied. "I just kind of felt like it was the right time. You beat me to it. Karen said you were super into me."

"Karen said that," Eddie repeated with a grin. "Of course she did."

"Yeah, she saw us at May's graduation party, and she thought there was something going on." Buck's hand slid down Eddie's back.

"Why did you decide to ask Buck out?" Christopher asked Eddie.

"I didn't have a good reason not to," he replied softly. "I just thought that he makes us happy, and… maybe it'd be good if we were something more than friends. And I wanted to give you a proper family with two parents who love each other, Chris… and I knew that I loved Buck, so much, and that you do too."

Buck pressed a kiss to his cheek, and buried his face against his neck, emotional.

"And he's a total softie," Eddie said to Christopher, who laughed. "So we liked each other – that's it, that's the story."

"And I'm going to have two dads," he said, a little in awe. "I'm still calling you Buck."

"I'm cool with that," Buck replied, "unless you want to go with Cool Dad."

"No," Eddie objected.

"Buck it is then," he said to Christopher, who laughed. "Easy."

**~*~*~*~**

**Maddie, Sophia & Adriana**

"All right, now that we're all suitably liquored up – except for you, Maddie," Adriana said, a glass of wine held aloft, "I'd like to raise a toast to the three of us for being the best sisters in the world, and basically planning a whole wedding for our dumb brothers for no reason other than love and family."

"Cheers," Maddie said, clinking her glass of orange juice against Adriana and Sophia's wine glasses. "Buck has promised me baby-sitting though, so it's not entirely out of the goodness of my heart."

"I mean, I'm even giving them an _egg_ ," Sophia said emphatically. "Like, I'm a saint. An actual saint."

"Saint Sophia," Adriana agreed, casting a withering look at the table of young men behind them, who were loudly whooping at each other.

"Does it hurt?" Sophia asked them in a low voice, looking concerned.

"You pushed three babies out – did that hurt?" Adriana asked dryly.

"Yeah, but I had an epidural."

"Lucky you," Maddie muttered.

Adriana grinned at her. "You just had to give birth on your own floor, didn't you? Special."

"I would've preferred a nice, comfortable hospital bed without my brother and your brother in the room with me, thank you very much."

"Did Eddie deliver your baby?" Sophia asked in confusion.

"No, Chimney did. Eddie was keeping an eye on my vitals. Buck called 911." Maddie had a sip of juice, glancing around for the waitress. "I'm still breastfeeding – I definitely can't have a wine, can I?"

"No," Adriana grumbled. "But when you're finished breastfeeding you just let me know, and we'll fly out and get drunk with you."

Maddie signalled for the waitress, and when she arrived at their table, Maddie said, "I would like some sort of a cocktail without alcohol in it. Preferably with juice instead of milk, so I can at least feel fancy and like I'm drinking without actually drinking."

"And I would like a cocktail with alcohol in it," Adriana said, consulting the menu. "I'll take a margarita. Soph?"

"Long Island iced tea, please," Sophia said sweetly.

"No, Soph, that's too strong for you," Adriana objected.

"I can have one. That's what I’m having," she said to the waitress, who wrote it down and headed for the bar. Sophia finished her wine and regarded Maddie and Adriana seriously. "So… did you hear what Mom did?"

Adriana frowned. "What did Mom do?"

"Buck caught her snooping in their bedroom on Saturday night, going through their drawers."

Maddie had a look of horror on her face. "Why would she do that?"

"She's a snoop; she always has been," Adriana said dismissively. "She was always hunting around for my diary when I was a kid – I didn't even keep a proper diary, but because I knew she was looking for one I used to write down fake entries and tuck it under my bed."

"Is that the one where you wrote, 'Math was great today, Mr Douglas is a wonderful teacher'?" Sophia asked with a grin.

"Yes, but then she thought I had a crush on my teacher and took me aside to talk to me about it." Adriana turned to Maddie pointedly. "She oversteps, she always has."

"Yeah… but going through their bedroom… that's such a violation. How did Eddie handle it?"

"He's pretty freaked out, but he doesn't want to bring it up with them; he just wants to get through the wedding. He seems to think that once that ring is on Buck's finger, they'll magically stop being the worst – but thirty-plus years of experience should tell him that it's not going to change a thing. So I'm going to talk to them again and tell them to quit the shit before the wedding."

"That's worked so well in the past," Sophia said dryly.

"It worked for a while! Honestly, I feel like Mom reads a couple of negative things about gay relationships and like, obsesses about it. I've told her, over and over, that Eddie is a grown man and he can marry whoever he wants, but it's like… they've got this inbuilt thing where a relationship should be between a man and a woman and they can't get past it." Adriana let out a frustrated huff of breath.

"Maybe because it didn't happen in a 'normal' way," Maddie suggested. "Like – bear with me – usually you hear about people figuring out their sexuality in their teenage years, and then coming out to their parents in their early twenties, right? But Eddie gave absolutely no indication until last year that he wasn't straight. I mean, if you'd asked me two years ago, I would've said he was straight. For sure."

"I knew he wasn't," Adriana replied.

Sophia scoffed at her. "You did not."

"I did! He never really liked dating girls. He was never excited about it. Even with Shannon… I knew he liked her, but until she got pregnant, I never thought they were going to end up together. The only person I have ever seen him excited and in love with is Buck."

"His wedding day with Shannon was awful," Sophia said to Maddie, shaking her head. "He was shaking in his boots. Mom and Dad talked them into it – I don't think Shannon wanted to get married either, but they really did care about each other. That wasn't fake. I know he loved her, he just… loved her in a different way to how he loves Buck."

"And he _really_ loves Buck," Adriana said dryly. "They're pathetic."

Maddie paused for a moment, and then said, "Our parents emotionally neglected us, you know? They weren't really around very much when we were kids, so I had to raise Buck… until I went to college, and then he was on his own. We didn't have much contact up until the last few years. He went to South America without telling me – I got a postcard from Rio once, in the mail. I had no idea he was even down there. When he came back to the States, he called me and said he was moving to LA – at that time things with Doug were pretty bad, and I thought about leaving then, but… I didn't. I should've."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Adriana said gently.

"No, I know. The point is that Buck spent a lot of time wandering around searching for his place in the world, alone, and it just… every time I see them together, with their little family unit, I just…" Maddie began to choke up, covering her face with her hands. "Oh my god, I'm going to cry all the way through my reading, aren't I?"

Sophia gave her a sideways hug. "I think we're all going to cry during your speech."

"I won't," Adriana remarked.

**~*~*~*~**


	2. The Wedding

Friday morning brought with it a flurry of excitement. Adriana and Sophia arrived at the house early, while Buck was still cooking breakfast – they were so early that when Eddie exited the bathroom and found them arguing with Buck in the kitchen, he had to double check the time to make sure they hadn't slept in.

Buck ended up adding more food to the pan and cooking a big breakfast for everyone – they all set around the table together as he slid plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of them.

"All right dudes," Adriana said, holding out her empty coffee cup to Buck for a refill. Buck rolled his eyes but obliged and passed it back to her. "You picked up the suits yesterday, correct?"

"Yep," Eddie replied, gesturing for Buck to take his seat at the table. "We had the final fitting."

"Shoes?"

"We've got the shoes."

"Rings?"

"I picked them up a week ago," Buck replied, leaning over to help Christopher cut his toast in half.

"Vows?" Sophia asked.

"Yep," Eddie replied, exchanging a quick look with Buck.

"Maddie's speech?"

"She sent us through the text, and we approved it," Buck replied, passing the hot sauce over to Eddie.

"We've done the final meeting with the celebrant and she will be at the venue tomorrow at 3.30pm for the ceremony at _four_ ," Sophia mused, checking things off her list. "Let's talk about the run-through today. Obviously, the venue will not be set up completely, but it will give you an idea of how the ceremony will go. Bobby's meeting us there at eleven?"

"Yes, he confirmed last night," Eddie replied, taking a bite of eggs. "Mmm, you've outdone yourself today, my love."

Buck smiled at him. "Just threw in some spice for you."

"Stop it," Adriana cut in. "No cute stuff. Okay, the flowers will be delivered to the venue in the morning. I will swing in and pick up the flowers for your lapels in the morning and bring them to the venue. Tomorrow night – you've got a hotel booked, right?"

"Yep," Eddie replied through a mouthful of food.

"Christopher is staying with your parents," Buck replied, flashing him a smile. "And then we pick him up on Sunday, and we fly out Monday morning."

Christopher bounced in his seat with excitement.

"Okay!" Sophia exclaimed, adding a tick to her list with a flourish. "I think we're nearly organised, don't you?"

"Hello!" a familiar voice wafted from the front door, and Eddie looked up sharply. His parents let themselves into their house, big smiles on their faces. "How is everyone?" Helena asked brightly, taking in the group at the table and the plates of food in front of them. "Who was cooking? Sophia, is this your handiwork?"

"No, Buck made us all breakfast," Sophia replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "He's a whiz in the kitchen."

"Oh," she said with surprise, looking over at Buck. "Do you do this every day?"

"I cook eggs every day for my boys," he replied easily. "We don't always have bacon."

"He gets up early to do it," Eddie added, leaning over to refill Buck's orange juice from the bottle. "How come you're here so early?"

"We thought we'd come over and help you out with the wedding preparation," Ramon replied, his hands on his hips. "What's in store for today?"

"Putting together the bonbonnieres," Sophia replied, holding up her checklist. "Everyone has a job to do. We'll get as much done as we can before we have to head over to the venue."

"Lovely," Helena said, though Eddie couldn't help but feel her enthusiasm was forced.

"I'm going to pick up Abuela soon," Adriana said, checking her watch. "She wants to come to the venue with us."

"Maddie is meeting us there – I'd say there's every chance Chim and Charlotte will be with her, and Athena will be with Bobby," Buck replied.

"It'll be nice to see Captain Nash again," Ramon said. "I'm just sorry you didn't have anyone else to stand up there with you other than your Captain, Buck."

Everyone went silent. Eddie affixed his father with a stern look and said, "Bobby is like a father to Buck."

"I know, but you seem to be very co-dependent with your co-workers, it's a little strange."

"They're our family," he replied, trying to keep the tension out of his voice. "And you've met Mr and Mrs Buckley – I'm sure you'd prefer Bobby."

"Of course, definitely," he backtracked. "That's not what I meant at all, Buck."

Buck shrugged. "It's fine. Is everyone finished? I'll start the dishes."

" _I'll_ start the dishes," Eddie interjected, rising to his feet. "You figure out what the hell these bonbon things are."

"They're for your guests!" Sophia snapped.

~

Bobby, Athena, Chimney and Maddie were waiting for them at the venue in Santa Monica. Baby Charlotte was in Chimney's arms, dressed in a colourful summer outfit. As soon as Sophia laid eyes on her, Chimney was forced to hand her over. Charlotte was one of the most easy-going babies Eddie had ever seen, and she simply giggled and cooed when she was passed between sets of eager hands.

Buck was the last to hold her, and she adored him already –Eddie could see that written all over her face, and the way she clutched at his shirt with tiny hands and clung to him.

The venue manager met them and led them inside – it was a converted warehouse, with long rectangular tables, space for a dancefloor, and twinkling fairy lights on the wall. They walked through the dining area and out to the courtyard at the back, where chairs were being set up on a grassed lawn, and the aisle led to a wooden arch surrounded by greenery.

Eddie stepped up beside Buck and nudged him with his shoulder. "Is this good?" he asked in a low voice – everyone else was distracted, talking over the top of each other, but he only cared about what Buck thought.

Buck hitched Charlotte up on his hip and said, "Yeah, I like it. Do you?"

"We could get married in a landfill; I don't care. I just want to marry you."

"Well, what'd we go to all this expense for?" Buck asked with a grin, leaning in to kiss him lightly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Do you want to hold Charlotte?"

Charlotte clutched at Buck and screwed her face up. Eddie said with a grin, "I think she prefers you."

"Dad!" Christopher suddenly shouted, and they both turned towards him with concern. "I am getting to read something at the wedding, right? Right?!" Ramon and Helena were on either side of him, alarmed expressions on their faces.

"Yes, of course," Eddie replied, taking a step towards them. "Maddie is reading first, and then you're next."

"Oh Eddie, that's a lot to ask of him," Helena admonished. "He's only young. He shouldn't have to stand up in front of everyone and read a speech."

"I want to!" Christopher practically exploded; bright red with frustration.

Eddie gestured to him and raised his eyebrows at his mother. "He's ten years old and he wants to read a speech at our wedding, so he's doing it."

"But isn't it a little… I don't know, in bad taste to have the son of your dead wife read something at your wedding?" Helena asked skeptically.

Everyone went silent, except for Christopher, who let out a sob and tried to pull away from them. "Christopher!" Ramon admonished, holding onto his arm. "Settle down!"

"Dad!" Eddie snapped at her, striding over to pull Christopher up and into his arms. "Stop it. _Stop_." Christopher let go of his crutches and they clattered onto the ground, and he clutched at Eddie and cried into his shoulder.

Buck handed Charlotte to Maddie, and took Christopher out of Eddie's arms, carrying him away, still crying. Eddie watched them head inside the building and then glowered at his parents. "He asked to read at the wedding, and of course we said yes," he admonished them. "What's the problem?"

"He's so young, and he's not Buck's son."

"Yes, he is," Eddie said firmly.

"You're erasing the memory of his mother," Helena said sharply.

"As if you give a flying fuck about Shannon's memory," he snapped, his voice echoing through the venue. "Do not talk to me about Christopher's grief. I know all about it, and you know nothing. It's not your place to tell him what he can and can't do."

"I'm his grandmother!"

"I'm his father, and what I say is final." Eddie folded his arms across his chest. "Accept it or leave."

"Edmundo," Ramon warned. "Calm down."

"I'm totally calm," he replied flatly. "I just need you to understand something – this may be my second wedding, but this is Buck's one and only wedding, and everything – and I mean _everything_ – has to be perfect for him. So I don't care what you want. I don't care if you think Christopher is too young. I don't care what your thoughts are about Shannon. I don't care what your thoughts are about Buck. _He_ is my priority, not you. I only care about what Buck wants. If you really can't get on board with this, feel free to leave."

"Eddie," Ramon said, but he held up a hand to them and walked away to check on Buck and Christopher.

**~*~*~*~**

**Adriana & Sophia**

"I am so sorry," Adriana said to the event coordinator. "Just give me five minutes to deal with my parents. Mom? Dad? Family meeting, let's go." She led them over to a secluded area of the venue, Sophia trailing behind reluctantly, her clipboard clutched to her chest.

Helena said bitterly, "I know you think he's out of line, Adriana."

"I think you are," she replied, never one to back down from a fight with her mother. "And I think you know you are, which is why you're doubling down. What the hell is going on? They get married tomorrow."

Ramon slipped an arm around Helena's shoulders and said quietly, "We just think he's making a mistake."

"Then you leave," Adriana said, "because nobody wants you here if you're going to have that attitude. You can't boss him around anymore! Eddie is marrying the love of his life, and you just need to accept it. Honestly, this is getting ridiculous. You're not homophobic people."

"Don't you want to see Eddie get married to someone he's actually in love with?" Sophia asked gently. "Seriously, he didn't want to get married the first time and you pressured him into it, and now… he's doing all of this for Buck. All of it. You must see how much they love each other."

"For Christ's sake, look at them," Adriana hissed – Buck, with Christopher still wrapped around him like a monkey, reaching out with one hand to pull Eddie into the embrace as well. "They're so happy. I know you've never seen Eddie this happy. Is that why you don't trust it?"

"You guys have a strong marriage," Sophia pointed out. "You're still married and in love, right? You set a good example for us in that regard – why don't you want that for him? Why do you want him to keep pretending that he's something he's not?"

"He's not playing around, you know," Adriana added. "He'll cut you out of his life. That means no more Christopher."

They exchanged a look. "He wouldn't do that," Ramon said uneasily.

"He literally just told you he would. Buck's cut his parents out – they'll do the same to you. They don't want toxic people in their lives, and nor should they! You just have to stop with this bullshit," she groaned. "You didn't give Soph and I a hard time when we got married."

"Because we married the opposite sex," Sophia said bluntly. "That's why. And it's _Eddie._ It's always about Eddie, isn't it? You put so much pressure on him. You two are the reason he fled to Los Angeles in the first place. You tried to take Christopher away from him."

"And you told him that he'd drag Christopher down with him, what the fuck, Mom?" Adriana said in a low voice. Helena was close to tears. "I know you know how fucked up that is."

"And you never apologised," Sophia added. "Not once. You just keep doing this to him, over and over again. We will back him up and ask you to leave if you continue."

"Yeah, we're team Eddie, all the way," Adriana said flatly.

Their parents had an unhappy, silent exchange with their eyes. Helena finally murmured, "Christopher is so important to us."

"Oh yeah, we get it," Sophia snapped. "You've got five other grandchildren, but sure."

"Yeah, I didn't see you buying Caitlin two bags of presents for her birthday last month," Adriana added.

"We don't get to see Christopher!" Ramon argued.

"Yep, and why do you think that is? I'll give you a clue – it's not Eddie's fault."

They shared another pained look. "I can't believe you two," Helena finally murmured.

"We've been telling you for months to get your acts together, and here we are again," Sophia said sharply. "Neither one of us wanted to be having this conversation with you today."

**~*~*~*~**

"So what's it going to be?" Buck asked, breaking up the angry huddle of Diaz's. Eddie carried Christopher past them and over to the rest of the group to help him with his crutches. "Are you in or out tomorrow, Mr and Mrs Diaz?"

"Buck," Helena said with surprise. "You know we like you."

"I've been getting a lot of shade thrown my way today, and I feel like we've been over this a lot. Eddie's upset the day before our wedding and this is not what I wanted to happen, so… I guess you have two choices. Apologise, or leave."

"Apologise," Ramon repeated disbelievingly.

"Yeah, to your son and your grandson," he replied. "Eddie's about a minute away from asking you to leave, and I don't think you want to miss your son's wedding – or Christopher's speech; I hear it's going to be great."

"You should probably just do it," Sophia murmured. "If you, I don't know, want to maintain a relationship with all of your children."

Helena sighed. "Okay. We over-stepped. We're sorry."

Adriana pointed to Eddie and Christopher. "Maybe start with those two."

"And maybe try silence for the rest of the day," Sophia added, as Mr and Mrs Diaz cast their two daughters bitter looks before starting over to where Eddie was standing with Christopher, talking with Bobby and Athena.

Adriana slung an arm around Buck's shoulders and pulled him in close. "Whatever happens," she said, "we're really fucking glad that you've chosen to become a Diaz."

"Yeah, because the truth is that you've earned yourself two amazing sisters-in-law," Sophia said, as he began to laugh. "And what that means is a lifetime of us getting drunk on wine and bitching about people."

"It's literally my favourite thing to do," Adriana added, shaking him gently. "You're gonna have a perfect wedding. This little spitfire and I can guarantee it."

"You guys did the right thing, putting me in charge," Sophia said, consulting her clipboard. "Right, where's the guy? Let's start talking table arrangements."

Adriana kissed Buck on the cheek and followed Sophia over to Maddie, Chimney and the events coordinator. Buck wandered over to Eddie and heard the tail-end of the conversation.

"In any event, we apologise," Helena was saying tearfully. "We do want you to have a wonderful day."

"Thank you," Eddie said stiffly. "I'm pretty sure we will."

"And to Buck as well," Ramon said, extending his hand so Buck could shake it. "We're very happy you're joining our family. Truly."

He wasn't quite sure he believed that, but he smiled and said, "Thank you."

The tension lifted when Sophia called, "All right, we're going to do like a fake walk down the aisle thing."

"A rehearsal," Adriana said, rolling her eyes.

"That. So… guys, are you thinking that Bobby and Christopher will walk out from the sides, maybe?" Sophia asked, consulting her clipboard.

Eddie turned to Buck helplessly. Buck asked, "Is that a normal thing to do?"

"Yeah, because they're booth groomsmen so it would be weird if they walked down the aisle together, and weirder if they walked down the aisle alone," Adriana said dryly.

"How about Bobby is in charge of Christopher, and they both walk down the same side together and stand across from each other waiting for you guys?" Athena asked, as always, the wisest in the group.

"I like her," Adriana remarked. "I like her the most of all of you guys – except you, Maddie."

"Would you please stop ranking all of us as to how much you like us?" Sophia asked. "Also, does this mean I'm third? I'm your _sister._ "

"Bold of you to assume you're third."

"Okay," Eddie said, holding up his hands. "Bobby and Christopher walk down the side, and then our song plays – Buck, are you going to tell them what our song is?"

"Sophia knows."

Eddie shook his head at him with a smile. "Are you going to tell me?"

"It's a surprise; I need to have some surprises for you on our wedding day." Buck slipped his arm around Eddie's waist and kissed his cheek.

"Okay, the song plays, you guys walk down the aisle, everyone oohs and aahs, the celebrant says the opening part of the speech, then Maddie says her thing," Sophia said, pointing to Maddie, "and then the celebrant introduces the star of the show, Christopher, who says his thing—"

Christopher beamed at her.

"And then she'll say some more stuff, and then Buck and Eddie will wow us all with their vows, then the celebrant will be like, boom, married, we all clap, everyone's happy," Sophia shot a look at her parents, who were standing off to the side, "and then we have a big party. Okay, is everyone cool with this?"

"I thought we were going to do a mock-up," Adriana said. "I'll be the celebrant. Let's just make sure these two dummies know which way they're walking in and where they have to stand."

~

Bobby and Athena gestured to Buck as they were leaving the venue, and he joined them at their car. "What's up?"

"You didn't tell us that Eddie's parents were still giving you guys a hard time," Athena said with concern.

He shrugged. "They're trying, which is more than what my parents have done. I don't want Eddie to not have his parents there."

"We just want the day to go as smoothly as possible," Bobby said with concern. "And you two both look a little stressed."

"It's just been a huge week," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets, "and we've had people around all the time. Christopher's a bit on edge with everything, and we weren't expecting Eddie's parents to be with us today."

"So how about we take them to lunch," Athena suggested, "and the rest of you go on with your day. You don't need Bobby and I tagging along with you – we'll see you tonight at the rehearsal dinner."

"You'll have to get them to say yes first," Buck said with a grin, "but if you can manage it, sure. Go right ahead."

Bobby patted him on the shoulder. "I've got this."

Sure enough, he did. Mr and Mrs Diaz agreed, with some pleasure, to accompany them to lunch, and they left in Bobby's car, waving out the window.

Adriana turned to Buck with her jaw open and said, "How did you do that?"

"Athena," Buck said smugly.

"That woman – honestly, I'm not into chicks, but like, I would," she remarked, shaking her head. "Like, I think I'm in love with her."

"You say you're not into chicks and yet you sure do fall in love with them a lot," Chimney teased.

"Yeah, well, I'm a complex woman." Adriana glanced at Sophia. "Where are we having lunch? We are having lunch, right?"

"We're having a quick bite and then heading back to Eddie's house to finish the bonbonniere's," Sophia replied, consulting her clipboard. "They shouldn't take too much longer."

"And then you guys are leaving the three of us alone and we'll see you tonight for the rehearsal dinner," Eddie said bluntly.

"Sick of us already, bro?"

He nodded. "Yep."

Sophia whacked him with the clipboard.

~~

They grabbed lunch at a restaurant nearby, sent Maddie, Chimney and baby Charlotte home, and then returned to Eddie and Buck's house to finish the bonbonnieres. Once they were done, Eddie wasted no time evicting Adriana and Sophia as well, locking the door behind them and turning to Buck and Christopher with relief. "Let's do something fun."

Buck made popcorn, and they settled down on the couch to watch a movie – _Thor Ragnarok_. Eddie zoned out, Buck's head on his shoulder, and tried to let some of the tension seep out of his body. His parents were going to be okay. In twenty-four hours, they'd be married.

Buck squeezed his hand lightly and nuzzled against his neck. Christopher was lying on his stomach on the floor, a pillow tucked under his chest, watching the movie with rapt attention. Eddie turned his head slightly and found Buck smiling at him.

"What?" he murmured.

Buck held up his watch and pointed to the time. "Less than a day to go."

Eddie couldn't contain the bright smile that burst from deep inside. "I can't wait."

"Shh," Christopher hissed from the floor.

Buck rolled his eyes good-naturedly, shaking his head, and shifted so he was turned side-on to Eddie, his lips at the perfect angle for kissing. Eddie examined his face, tracing his finger along the line of his brows and over his birthmark and whispered, "Have I told you how much I love you today?"

Buck shook his head, his eyes sparkling.

"Dad," Christopher complained. "Watch the movie."

"Sorry," Eddie said with a grin, but pressed a quick kiss to Buck's lips. "I'm watching."

Buck pulled Eddie in close, cuddled right up against him. They fell into a comfortable silence again until there was a brisk knock at the door, and Buck's head popped up.

"Who the hell is that?" Eddie complained, checking his watch, not wanting to leave the comfort of Buck's embrace.

Buck was sitting up, peering through the window. "Looks like FedEx. I'll get it." He kissed Eddie's cheek as he stood and went to answer the door. "Thanks," Eddie heard Buck say, and then stepped back into the room holding a large box. "It's a wedding gift, I think."

Eddie stood and joined Buck at the dining table. "Who from?"

Buck shrugged. "The return address is just a PO Box."

"It's not a bomb, is it? From Kyle?" He was joking, but Buck gave him a worried look. "I'm _kidding._ Do you really think your idiot cousin is smart enough to do that?"

"No."

The box was wrapped in brown butcher paper. Buck tore it open to reveal more elegant gift-wrapping, and a card tucked into the string at the top.

"Should we open it now?" he asked Eddie. "Are you allowed to do that? Is it bad luck?"

Eddie shrugged. "I have no idea. Let's open the card at least, so we know who it's from."

Buck tore open the envelope and extracted the card. Three tickets fell out, and Eddie knelt to pick them up. "Tickets to see _Hamilton_ at the Los Angeles Theatre in October," he said to Buck, who was scowling. "Oh god. It's from your parents, isn't it?"

"Yes." Buck handed him the card and took the tickets out of his hand.

_'Dear Evan and Eddie,_

_Congratulations on your wedding. We hope these gifts find you well.  
_ _Wishing you all the best for your future._

_Kindest regards,_

_Roger and Patricia Buckley'_

Eddie frowned. "There's nothing in here about how much we've hurt them by not inviting them."

"Still couldn't help themselves though," Buck muttered, examining the tickets. "Nice of them to send one for Christopher as well, I guess."

Eddie went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the drawer. He cut the string on the box and tore the wrapping paper, pulling it down and off. Buck's eyes lit up instantly, but he quickly recovered, steeling his expression again.

They'd sent a brand-new bright red KitchenAid Stand Mixer. They already had a small mixer in the kitchen, so Eddie wasn't sure why Buck was so delighted. "Is this… good?"

"It's about a thousand dollars of awesomeness, yes," Buck said tightly.

Eddie touched his arm gently. "It's okay to like the present."

Buck's lips twisted. "I really like the present."

"I know. It doesn't mean you have to do anything, or even talk to them… you can leave it until after the honeymoon and we can send them a thank you card. That's all you have to do."

"How did they know I would even want this?" he wondered. "I never… told them that I liked cooking."

"Maybe they asked Maddie, I don't know."

Buck examined the box again, looking torn. "I really want this," he said to Eddie in a low voice. "Like, I really, really want it."

Eddie pushed it over to him. "It's yours. Have it."

"But…"

"Baby, the ball is in your court. Accepting a gift from them does not mean you forgive them."

"It's a sign of weakness."

"They're not going to know what you've done with it, my love," Eddie said gently. "For all they know you could've taken a baseball bat to it."

Buck touched the box with one finger and sighed. "I really want it."

"It's yours. Take it."

"You won't think less of me?"

Eddie chuckled. "No. If it makes you happy, I want you to have it."

"Okay." Buck took the knife from him and cut open the box, opening the lid to reveal the shiny new kitchen appliance. "I mean, I wouldn't have chosen red, but that's okay."

"They come in other colours?"

"Oh yeah, you can get black, blue, pink…" Buck trailed off as he unpacked the box. "I thought about getting one, but I decided it was too much money to spend on a stand mixer."

"You can spend big money on kitchen stuff if you want," Eddie said, taking a seat at the table. "It's your domain. Buy whatever you want."

"We've pretty much got everything, but this? This," Buck declared, sliding the plastic off the stand mixer itself, "is a thing of beauty."

"Thanks Mom and Dad," Eddie joked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks for everything."

~

Eddie, Buck and Christopher arrived at the restaurant by the ocean for the rehearsal dinner precisely at 6.30pm, when Sophia told them to be there. They were the last to arrive and were greeted with applause and cheering.

Buck's eyes lit up when Nick and his husband, Aaron, stood to greet them, and they reunited with a hug. Steve and Derek were next, followed by Hen and Karen, Bobby and Athena, Carla, and Albert, who was between girlfriends for once in his life.

Once everyone had said hello and were seated again, Eddie sat between Buck and Christopher at the head table, accompanied by Maddie and Chimney, Bobby and Athena, and Ramon and Helena. They ate dinner first, as per Sophia's strict schedule, and in between the main course and dessert, Adriana grabbed a microphone and took to the stage.

"Good evening everyone," she said with a grin. She was wearing a navy-blue dress, cut at the knees, with a sparkly bodice. "Thank you all for coming this evening. I'm Adriana, Eddie's big sister, and I get to make the first speech because I'm number one."

"You only think you are," Sophia said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Adriana winked at her. "I'm going to keep it short and hopefully sweet, though I'm not really known for that. My brother Eddie is a lot of things – a pain in the ass, incredibly grumpy, selfless, and loyal to a fault – but more than anything, he's a closed book. If he doesn't want you to know what's going on with him, you won't know about it. And then there's Buck," she said meaningfully, as everyone laughed, "who I think we all know is the exact opposite."

Buck shared a look with Eddie, taking his hand under the table.

"I first met Buck nearly two years ago at Eddie's graduation ceremony, and two things became clear to me very quickly – one, he's a dope, and two, he was in with Eddie one-hundred-percent, totally committed, and this was before they were even an item. He'd been blown up only a few days earlier and he still made sure he was there to support Eddie, even though I know it was hard for him and he was in pain." She paused, glancing over at Buck. "So I followed him on Instagram – as you do – and through Buck's Instagram posts, I've watched his whole relationship with my brother unfold. I mean, honestly, now that I've admitted this he'll probably lock it up tight, but if you go back and look over the last few years, aside from a few sunsets here and there, pretty much every single picture has either Eddie or Christopher in it in some form or another. I knew they were a couple before they admitted it," she said to them with a grin.

Eddie rolled his eyes at her.

"So what I want to say to you two is this – I know how much you love each other, and I know that things haven't always been easy or straightforward, but… from the bottom of my heart, I genuinely believe you two are perfect for each other. You complement each other and that's not an easy thing to find in this world. So…" she trailed off, thinking, and then flashed Eddie another smile. "I just really want you to be happy," she said to him, and he nodded at her. "That's what I want, and I think you are. So you two dummies be happy together, with Christopher to keep you both in line. I love you both, so much."

He knew his sister well, and he could detect the faintest tinge of emotion in her voice as she thanked everyone and quickly sat down again, shielding her face as she was applauded.

Buck leaned in and said, "Here I thought she was a robot."

Eddie elbowed him under the table.

Chimney was the next to take the microphone, smiling and waving at the group. "Hi all, I'm an honorary Buckley this evening," he said, gesturing to Maddie, who held up a glass of sparkling water. "I'm speaking on behalf of Maddie, and also everyone at the 118, and Bobby told me I have to be nice and not make too many jokes at Buck's expense, which is going to be difficult, but I'll try."

Buck was smirking, his eyes trained on Chimney, clearly hoping to rattle him.

"Let me tell you about Eddie's first twenty-four hours at the 118," Chimney began, and both Buck and Eddie groaned. "It was a normal day – a lovely day in Los Angeles. Buckaroo walks in, full of his own importance, thinking he was going to earn himself a place in the calendar – I won the spot, yes, Mr April, right here—"

"Get on with it," Buck called to much laughter, and Chimney shot him a pointed look.

"So then Hen and I see a very handsome, very shirtless man in our locker room," Chimney continued, "and Bobby tells us that it's our new recruit. Eddie Diaz. Top of his class. Well, you've never seen anyone's face drop as fast as Buck's did."

Buck shook his head, rolling his eyes, but Eddie squeezed his hand under the table and murmured in his ear, "It's only because you thought I was hot."

"Very," he murmured back, and kissed his cheek.

"If you'd said to me back then that in three years I'd be standing here making a speech at their rehearsal dinner, well, I never would've believed you. Buck spent the entire day glowering at Eddie and being threatened by him, when the rest of us could plainly see that Eddie is one of the nicest, most patient people _ever_ , and instead of getting all huffy, he simply won our Buckaroo over by the sheer force of his charming personality. And they've been joined at the hip since," he said dryly, as everyone laughed. "Everyone has their ups and downs in life, but the true test of friendship is how you navigate the lows, and these two have always come out the other side stronger than ever. And on a personal note, Buck," Chimney said, pausing briefly, "as you know, I lost my brother to this job."

Buck nodded.

"And when you started with us at the 118, I thought you were a cocky little shit," he said bluntly, as Buck grinned. "But you've got layers, and once I got to know you, I realised that… you're about as decent of a person I've ever met in my life. A fundamentally, genuinely decent person. You never have a bad word to say about anyone, you're an eternal optimist and you're constantly cheering the rest of us up and making the 24-hour shifts seem not quite so bad. And I need you listen to this, because this is the only time I'll ever compliment you in public," Chimney warned, and Buck nodded at him again. "Adriana said that you and Eddie complement each other and she's one hundred percent right. You two fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I think Eddie played a big part in you accepting who you are, finding your place in the world and figuring out what you want out of life. You were lost before he came along, and then you found yourself. That's a big thing, Buckaroo."

Buck was on the verge of tears, clutching Eddie's hand under the table.

"And I think you of as my brother," Chimney continued, his voice quavering only slightly. "Both of you. You've always been there for me if I've needed you, and I know I can rely on you. And one day, when I marry your sister, we'll be brothers legally, but… even now, I still think of you both as my family. And I'm genuinely thrilled you fell in love with each other, and especially happy to be standing here today giving a speech for your wedding. If everyone could raise their glasses, I'd like to toast to the happy couple," he said, holding up a glass of champagne. "To Eddie and Buck."

"To Eddie and Buck," everyone echoed, holding their glasses up.

~~

Buck cornered Chimney later that night. "Who knew," he said loftily, leaning on the wall, as Chimney smirked at him. "You've been a secret softie this whole time."

"Me? Nope."

"You said all those nice things about me and in front of people, Chim. Are you feeling okay?"

"Maybe I'm feeling generous because you're getting married, I don't know," Chimney said archly. "I expect a nice speech of your own when I marry your sister."

"Yeah, when is that gonna be, anyway?" Buck asked pointedly. "You're not planning to propose at our wedding, are you?"

"God no. Maddie would murder me." Chimney cast a look over to where Maddie was chatting with Hen and Karen. "I've got a plan; I just want it to be perfect."

"I mean, she's already had your kid…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there, don't rush me," Chimney warned.

Buck clapped him on the shoulder, but Chimney pulled him in for a quick hug, patting his back firmly. "You're a total sap," Buck said to him with a grin. "Total and complete sap."

"Yeah, well, it takes one to know one," Chimney retorted, giving Buck a light shove before returning to Maddie's side.

Buck was about to wander over to join Nick, when he was intercepted by Helena, who took him by the arm and guided him over to where Ramon was standing, off to the side. He immediately looked around for Eddie, who was laughing with Miguel at the bar.

"We just want to talk to you alone for a minute," Helena said, trying to sound reassuring. "We're not trying to upset your night."

"Okay…" he replied cautiously. "What's going on?"

"We're sorry for our behaviour this morning," Ramon began. "It was wrong of us, and we apologise to you."

Buck paused, and then said, "Thank you."

"We have just found this to be an adjustment," Helena explained, "and we haven't been as supportive as we should've. Honestly, Buck… he picked the right person."

He raised his eyebrows, surprised, and said, "Oh."

"We don't have any reservations about you," she reassured him. "Christopher loves you, and Eddie's just… over the moon for you. Adriana and Sophia love you as well – everyone does."

"You just weren't expecting Eddie to fall in love with a man."

They shook their heads. "No," Ramon replied awkwardly. "But he couldn't have picked a better man, as far as we're concerned."

Buck smiled, resting his hands on his hips. "Well, thank you. I consider myself pretty lucky as well."

"And we've met _your_ parents," Helena said gently. "We're happy to welcome you into our family, you know."

"Thank you," he said again. "That means a lot. I really care about all of you guys."

"Buck, I'd like to ask your permission to make a speech tomorrow night," Ramon said awkwardly. "I know our children will say no, but… I would like to speak from the heart. Is that okay?"

"I mean, I don't need to tell you that your kids will freak out if it's something bad, right?"

"No, I just… would like to tell Eddie how proud I am of him," he replied quietly.

Buck wanted to say that he could literally walk over to Eddie and say that to him _now_ , but he kept his mouth shut. "Okay," he said. "It's fine with me, but I'm just going to ask you very nicely – please don't say anything that might ruin our wedding. Eddie will never forgive you."

"I have no intention of ruining your wedding," Ramon replied, and held his hand out so Buck could shake it. "And we'd love to have the three of you in El Paso for Christmas."

"I think we can arrange that," Buck said with a grin.

Helena gave him a hug, and he nodded at them both before stepping away. He'd always known they liked him, and he was smirking a little bit as he went to join Nick, nudging his shoulder. "Hey," Buck said to him. "Thanks for flying out here for this."

"And miss you getting married? Never," Nick replied. Aaron was chatting with Steve, Derek and Josh near the bar, all four of them laughing loudly. "Are you guys having a good night?"

"We are," Nick replied warmly. "I'm happy to have a chance to get to know more of your friends. And you and Eddie seem as happy as always."

Buck couldn't help but glance over at Eddie, who was standing with Bobby and Athena. "Yeah, he's great. We're great."

"I'm glad. I was worried about you, for a while there," Nick admitted, casting him a long look. "You were pretty aimless. I wasn't even sure fire-fighting would stick."

"It's the only thing I've ever been good at."

"You underestimate yourself – you're great a lot of things, and you know it," Nick replied. "You just had to find the one that you really enjoyed doing."

"Helping people."

"Yeah, but I’m sure the action and adventure is a big drawcard as well."

"It was at first, but not so much anymore," Buck admitted. "I mean, I love it, but… I never used to worry as much as I do now, that something might happen to Eddie."

"Or you," Nick said pointedly.

"I'm less worried about me. Honestly, I never thought… I could love like this," he said in a low voice, touching his chest. "I thought maybe I was too fucked up from my parents to be capable of it."

"You always did wear your heart on your sleeve and _feel_ things," Nick said gently. "I knew when you fell in love for real, it would be like this. That you would love him with everything that you have."

"Oh, you knew it'd be a 'him', did you?"

"I knew it wasn't going to be that chick you were dating before Eddie came along," Nick replied dryly.

"Yeah, I feel like everyone knew that but me," Buck said, leaning back in his seat. An arm suddenly slid around his chest, and he glanced up to find Eddie leaning over him. "Hi, my love."

"Hey," Eddie said, flashing an easy smile at Nick. "Am I intruding?"

"No, sit down," Nick said with a laugh. "We were just talking about how you're Buck's everything."

"Oh, likewise," Eddie said, sliding into Buck's lap. "He's mine, as well."

"Your sister Sophia was telling us that there were some problems with your family today," Nick said, as Aaron joined them and took the seat beside him. "As someone who has also been through it with his parents, I feel your pain."

"They're trying," Eddie said, glancing over to where his parents were seated with Carla. Christopher was cuddled up to Carla, on the verge of sleep. "I know it's disappointing them, but I don't care, and I feel like it's their issue and not mine."

"You shouldn't sacrifice your happiness just to live up to someone else's unrealistic expectations," Nick replied. "When I came out, my father practically disowned me. He told me not to come home until I'd straightened myself out – literally. Thankfully, I'd been awarded a full-ride scholarship to college, where I met this one here—" He poked Buck's knee, and Buck grinned. "And I didn't speak to my parents for a decade."

"Are you speaking to them now?" Eddie asked curiously.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, my mother reached out to me. She found me on Facebook, realised I was married with two kids and sent me a very awkward message. Honestly, it was never her that I was angry with – she's always done what my father wanted, so I didn't have too much hesitation in replying to her. What did surprise me, though, was that my father had… had a change of heart about it? I mean, it hasn't been easy, and we've only been in contact the last couple of years, but we do have a relationship now, and he is a grandparent to his grandchildren, and he and Aaron get along very well." Nick shared a look with Aaron, and then shrugged at them. "What I'm saying is that while they may be having a hard time accepting things now, that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll still feel this way in a year. I can already tell they both like Buck."

"Yeah, they do," Buck said to Eddie, who gave him an affectionate smile.

"My two cents," Nick said, holding his hands up. "Give them a chance."

"I am," Eddie replied, sliding his hand along Buck's shoulders. "I just want everything to be perfect tomorrow. It's the one and only time Buck's going to do this."

"I found a keeper," Buck said to them, raising his eyebrows.

"You did. But babe, I'm looking at Christopher who is practically asleep, and I think we're going to have to make an exit soon," Eddie said apologetically. "I want him to be fresh for tomorrow."

"You guys go," Nick said, shooing them away. "You've got a big day tomorrow. Next time I see you, you'll be walking down the aisle together."

"We should've eloped," Buck said to Eddie, who slapped his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get our kid and go."

~~

Eddie smoothed some moisturiser onto his face at the mirror, before flicking the overhead light off and kicking off his sweats. He crawled into bed beside Buck, who was waiting for him, and leaned in to kiss him softly, running his fingers along his jaw. Buck hummed against his lips, pressing a hand to the small of his back.

"Mr Buckley," Eddie murmured, and Buck smirked.

"Yes, Mr Diaz?"

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"This guy asked me to marry him and the wedding is tomorrow, so I thought I would."

"I think you should ditch him and be with me instead."

"Mmm, okay." Buck lay back against the pillows, pulling Eddie on top of him, gazing up at him with sparkling eyes. "Nervous?"

"No." Eddie lifted Buck's left hand, examining his ring finger. "Nope. I just want that ring on there already."

"This time tomorrow we'll be husbands."

"About fucking time," Eddie murmured, resting his head on Buck's chest. "I love you, baby. I'm really happy you said yes when I asked you to marry me."

"I was just happy you asked."

"I'm going to make you so happy, I promise. I'm going to be a much better husband this time around."

"Are you worried that when the celebrant says that we're married, you're going to suddenly want to run off to war again?"

Eddie shook his head. "I'm not scared anymore."

"Scared?"

"Of… being a failure. Disappointing people." Eddie tapped Buck's chest with his finger and said, "I know you love me no matter what."

"You put a lot of pressure on yourself to be strong and unflappable," Buck said quietly, "and to be the caretaker of your family. We're in this together, you and me. You don't have to do it all on your own anymore."

Eddie leaned in to kiss him, savouring the feel of his lips, and as they parted, he whispered, "Te amo, baby."

Buck's eyes lit up. "Te amo, my love."

They smiled at each other, legs tangled beneath the sheets, chests pressed together, hearts beating in tandem.

~~

"IT'S HERE!" Christopher shouted from the bedroom door, and Buck sat up with a gasp, looking around wildly.

"What? What's here?"

"WEDDING DAY!" Christopher was practically vibrating with excitement as he made his way over to the bed, clambering up beside Eddie, who groaned and pulled a pillow over his eyes.

Buck was relieved they'd thought to put some clothes on. Christopher climbed over Eddie, forced himself between them, and cuddled up to Buck with a sigh.

"What time is it?" Eddie groaned.

"It's 5am."

"Oh my god, _Christopher._ "

"I'm excited," Christopher confessed to Buck, who yawned and nodded. "What time are we going?"

"Not until the afternoon, and your aunts won't be here until lunchtime, so… we were going to have a lie in." To make his point, Buck wrapped his arm around Christopher's chest and pulled him close. "So maybe you go back to sleep too."

Christopher wriggled a bit, reaching out to tug on Eddie's shirt. Eddie let out a muffled grunt and then flipped over so he was facing them, extending one arm across Christopher's body, his hand on Buck's hip.

"Sleep," Eddie murmured, burying his face in his son's hair.

Buck closed his eyes again, trying to drift off, but Christopher whispered, "Buck, you're going to be my dad today. Officially."

Buck broke into a smile and kissed his forehead. "Yep," he murmured, a little choked up. "I sure am."

"I'm going to stop the wedding if you both don't go to sleep."

Buck held a finger to his lips, and Christopher grinned at him. "Love you, kiddo," Buck whispered to him.

Christopher beamed. "Love you too, Buck."

~

"We should cook breakfast for Buck," Christopher said to Eddie while Buck was showering. "It's a special day."

Eddie grimaced. "Uh, I think… we probably shouldn't start the day with food poisoning, and besides, Buck bought some special bacon for us to try, so we'll let him do it."

"We should do something for him then," Christopher said with a pout. "Flowers."

"Flowers? Where am I going to get some flowers from, bud?"

Christopher heaved a sigh. "I don't know."

Eddie eyed him, and then said, "I know what to do. Let me get my phone, we'll play him a song when he comes out of the shower. He'll love it."

"Okay!"

~

Buck emerged from the shower a few minutes later, and as soon as he set foot in the kitchen, Christopher pressed play on the music.

_Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married_ _  
Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married_

He let out a delighted laugh, his eyes lighting up as Eddie stepped up to him. "What's going on?"

_Gee, I really love you_ _  
And we're gonna get married  
Goin' to the chapel of love_

Eddie took one of Buck's hands in his, slid his other hand around to the small of his back and pulled him in, dancing with him in the kitchen as Christopher cheered them on.

_Spring is here, the sky is blue, whoa-oh-oh_ _  
Birds all sing as if they knew  
Today's the day we'll say "I do"  
And we'll never be lonely anymore_

Eddie twirled Buck out and pulled him back in, leaning in for a kiss. Neither of them realised that Christopher was taking a video - too wrapped up in each other to notice.

_Because we're goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married_ _  
Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married  
Gee, I really love you  
And we're gonna get married  
Goin' to the chapel of love_

Buck sang along, kissing Eddie so often, following him easily as they danced around the kitchen. He laughed when he was twirled out and pulled back in again, and then dipped backwards, Eddie grinning at him like they'd practiced it a hundred times before.

_Bells will ring, the sun will shine, whoa-oh-oh_ _  
I'll be his and he'll be mine  
We'll love until the end of time  
And we'll never be lonely anymore because_

_Because we're goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married_ _  
Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married  
Gee, I really love you  
And we're gonna get married  
Goin' to the chapel of love yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Buck and Eddie were kissing as the song ended, their arms wrapped around each other. Christopher saved the video, scrolled through Eddie's messages until he found the person he was looking for, and sent it off.

**~*~*~*~**

**Bobby and Athena**

"I don't know why I'm nervous," he complained to Athena, fumbling with his tie. "It's not my wedding."

"You just want everything to go perfectly for them. I get it." She was seated at her vanity table, applying her make-up. "Would you stop fussing with that tie? It was fine the first time you tied it."

"It's not straight." He looped it around his neck, and then paused, examining his reflection. "Does the blue go with this suit?"

Athena laughed good-naturedly. "Yes, of course," she admonished. "I picked it out for you. The boys are wearing dark blue suits; your tie is a nod to that."

"I think Buck's is dark blue and Eddie's is dark grey," Bobby murmured, trying to tie the knot again. "I just want everything to go well."

"It will. Eddie's parents seemed a lot calmer last night."

Bobby was silent, carefully tying the Windsor knot in his tie, and ensuring it was centered. Satisfied, he took a step back. "That's better."

Athena looked over at him affectionately. "Very nice," she said approvingly. "Have you finished your speech for tonight?"

"I finished it up at work the other day. It's hard to put into words how much Buck means to me. I know we've had our ups and downs, but… I really do think of him almost as my son. I just… wonder if saying that is too much."

"He'll love it," she replied, applying her lipstick. "He loves you like a father too. Lord knows his father is a piece of work. You don't think they'll gatecrash, do you?"

"No, Buck said yesterday that they sent a gift. He doesn't think they'll turn up. It should be a drama-free day." Bobby slipped into his suit jacket. "I mean, it's ninety degrees outside and I have to wear a suit, but that's okay."

"You've worn a turnout coat on days hotter than this," Athena remarked. "You'll get through it."

He turned to face her, holding his hands out. "How do I look?"

"Very handsome," she said admiringly, and stood, doing a slow spin in her maroon dress. "And me?"

"Stunning," he said emphatically – she always did, and he was once again reminded of how he was the luckiest man on the planet.

**~*~*~*~**

**Hen & Karen**

"Denny, please," Karen begged, holding out his jacket. "Please, you just have to put it on."

"No!" he shouted, turned on his heel, and sprinted down to his room.

Karen exchanged an exasperated look with Hen, who had Nia on her hip. "When did this wilful behaviour start?"

"He doesn't like dressing up," Hen replied, shaking her head. "I don't know what to tell you. He doesn't have to wear the jacket – he looks fine."

Karen pouted, examining the jacket. "But he looks so cute in it."

"The boys aren't going to notice or care," Hen said knowingly, smoothing Nia's dress, smiling at their daughter. "Why don't you play in your room while your mom and I finish getting ready?"

Nia nodded agreeably, and Hen set her down on the floor to toddle into her room.

"I just hope it's a phase he's going through," Karen grumbled, leading Hen back down to their bedroom. "The saying no all the time thing? It's getting old."

"He's just pushing boundaries, I think." Hen stood in front of the mirror to fasten her earrings. "The boys looked so happy last night, didn't they? I don't think they were apart for more than a couple of minutes."

"That's how it's been all year." Karen had two dresses hung on the wardrobe, examining each one carefully. "Which one do you think?"

"The silver sparkles; you look beautiful in it," Hen replied. "You know, when we're at work, they're not very touchy feely. Sometimes I catch them, but it's very discreet."

"Well, they were all over each other at the bachelor party." Karen glanced over at her with a smile. "I think it's very sweet."

"Of course you do."

"And I knew before _anyone_ that they were into each other," she bragged, as Hen rolled her eyes. "You guys had no idea. None!"

"Well, you could've told me something was going on!"

"And spoil the surprise? Never."

**~*~*~*~**

**Maddie & Chimney**

"Can you zip me up?" Maddie asked, turning around, and lifting her hair up. "The dress is okay, right? It looks good?"

"You look beautiful," he replied, sliding the zipper up to the base of her neck. Maddie was in a midnight blue dress that was cinched at the waist and fell to mid-calf, covered in tiny silver sparkles. She wore the gold locket he'd given her for Christmas around her neck, and she'd been to the hairdresser that morning to have her hair done, curls cascading down her back.

Chimney's suit was black, and she turned around to tie his tie for him, gazing at him affectionately. "And you look very handsome today."

"Well, Buck told me I had to clean myself up."

"When have you ever listened to Buck?"

"It's hard not to when he's got Eddie there behind him glaring at me to take him seriously," he complained.

"Eddie loves him, that's all." Maddie straightened his tie, a small smile on her face. "He's protective."

"They're both annoying, which is why it fits that they're getting married today." Chimney kissed her nose, and then grabbed his jacket from the bed.

"Oh, I know you don't really feel that way. We all heard your speech last night," she said knowingly, taking a seat on the bed to buckle her shoes.

He shrugged modestly. "So I like the guys, what can I say?"

"You love them." Maddie gave him a concerned look. "Are you sad that Buck didn't ask you to be his best man?"

"No, I knew he'd ask Bobby," he replied honestly, shrugging into his jacket. "Bobby's the best man for the job – pun intended."

"Ha ha."

"He was great with Eddie's parents yesterday."

"Adriana said that they loved having lunch with him and Athena," Maddie replied, finally managing to close the earring. "Apparently, they had a heartfelt discussion about what it means to have a gay son, and that Mr and Mrs Diaz seemed to turn a corner. I mean, I'm glad I wasn't there for it, let me tell you."

"My theory is that they're a pair of attention-seekers," Chimney replied, picking up the baby monitor and holding it to his ear. "I thought I heard something."

"You should go and check on her anyway. Mrs Lee will be here soon."

**~*~*~*~**

"Where are you two?" Adriana shouted from the front door. "It's go time. The photographer is here. You better be dressed!"

Eddie heaved a sigh, turning to Buck, who was staring at his bow tie, completely puzzled. "Babe, do you want me to tie it?"

"You might have to," Buck replied. "Chris, can you let your aunts in, please?"

"On it!" Christopher called from the living room.

Eddie took the bow tie out of Buck's hands, which were trembling slightly, and soothed him with a kiss. "Hey, what are you nervous about?" he murmured, leaning over to push the door to their bedroom shut, hoping his sisters wouldn't just barge in. "What's wrong? Tell me."

Buck smiled at him shakily. "I just… I can't believe it's here and I want to cry."

"So cry."

"I can't; your sisters will make fun of me."

Eddie cupped his face with one hand and leaned in, so their foreheads were pressed together. Buck closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath as the rest of the world fell away.

"It's just us," Eddie murmured. "Just you and me."

"Yep."

"Everything is going to be fine; it's just a day. That's all. I will make it perfect for you."

A single tear slipped down Buck's cheek. "I just love you so much."

Eddie kissed him tenderly, sliding one arm around his lower back. Neither of them noticed the door open, and Adriana gesture for the photographer to take a picture, until the camera flash made them jerk apart.

"Adriana!" Eddie snapped.

"Sorry! You guys just looked so cute," she said gleefully. "Come on, would you? The day's wasting."

"Give us a second," he admonished, slamming the door shut again. "She is going to drive me nuts today."

Buck was shaking his head affectionately, a small smile on his lips. "Without her, we wouldn't be having this nice wedding."

"No, we would've taken Christopher somewhere and eloped months ago." Eddie stepped up to Buck, taking the tie out of his hands. "Now, I showed you how to do this."

"I kinda like it when you do it for me."

Eddie smirked. "All right. How often do I get to see you in a bow tie anyway, huh?"

"Not very. Looking forward to you taking it off at the end of the night, too." Buck tilted his head back, so Eddie had more access, still feeling anxious.

"You're tapping your foot," Eddie murmured. "Full of energy."

"I'm really worried I'm going to screw up my vows."

"Baby, you won't." Eddie finished tying the tie and turned Buck around, so he was facing the mirror. "Is that straight? You stand still, let me adjust it."

"Are you not nervous at all?"

"Nope. I just want everything to be absolutely perfect, so you have the best day of your life." Eddie's tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he carefully adjusted the tie until it was sitting perfectly. "There."

Buck leaned back against him. "I hope that means you're going to have the best day of your life, too."

"That's the plan." Eddie kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's see what they're up to."

They left the safety of the bedroom and went out to the living room, where Adriana was on her phone, Sophia was having an in-depth discussion with the photographer and Christopher was seated at the dining table, reading through a sheet of paper.

"Oh, thank god," Sophia said when she noticed them. "Okay. We're going to get some shots here at the house. Bobby's on his way, yes?"

Buck nodded. "He should be here any minute."

"Great!" Sophia checked something off her list. "Guys, you remember Melanie? She's going to take copious amounts of photos of you two gazing lovingly at each other, so let's get started. Mel, take control."

Melanie reached out to shake their hands again, and then held up her camera. "Shall we head out to the backyard?"

~~

An hour and what felt like hundreds of photos later, they were standing inside the house, waiting for the car to arrive to take them to the venue. Eddie met Buck's eyes, tilting his head to the kitchen, and led him and Christopher aside so they had some privacy.

"Okay," Eddie said, kneeling in front of Christopher with the ring box in his hand. "This is your biggest job today, mijo."

"Second biggest," Christopher corrected.

"Equal biggest." Eddie held up the box, raising his eyebrows. "Your job is to protect the rings until the celebrant asks for them, okay? So keep them safe in your pocket, and when she says that it's time, you're going to hand me the box. Biggest, most important job."

Christopher nodded seriously. "I can do it."

"Good." Eddie handed him the box, and he tucked it in his inside jacket pocket, patting his chest proudly. "Good man." He kissed Christopher's forehead and stood up, letting out a breath.

Buck leaned against the counter. He was wearing a navy-blue suit, tailored perfectly, with tapered legs that made him seem taller than he actually was. Eddie's charcoal suit was the mirror image, with a navy-blue tie to complement Buck's grey one. They had white roses to wear in their lapels, but the flowers were waiting at the venue for them to arrive.

Christopher wandered back out to the living room, and Eddie took the opportunity to adjust Buck's tie again, and then run his fingers down his clean-shaven face lightly. Buck lightly clasped his elbow, gazing into his eyes adoringly, and Eddie began to murmur, "You look…" but was cut off when the camera flashed at them.

Buck chuckled, kissing his cheek. "I think the car's here. Let's go."

They left the house in a group, and Buck, Eddie and Christopher slid into the backseat of a rented black-and-white Rolls Royce Phantom. The driver thankfully blasted the air-con, and Eddie settled Christopher in between them. Bobby took the front passenger seat beside the driver, looking around in admiration. "Wow. Who picked this?"

"Buck did," Eddie replied, reaching over Christopher to squeeze Buck's shoulder, raising his eyebrows at him. _You okay?_

Buck nodded. He'd relaxed, but Eddie could tell he was still nervous.

"Champagne?" the driver asked them.

"For the grooms only," Bobby confirmed, flashing them a smile. "Take the edge off."

Eddie accepted a glass and passed it to Buck, who downed it in one gulp almost instantly. Eddie took the bottle from the driver and refilled Buck's glass, and then passed it back. "Last one before the reception," he said, and Buck nodded.

The driver played classical music as they drove through the streets of Los Angeles, chatting with Bobby in the front seat. Buck was slower with his second glass, gazing out the window, his jaw clenching every so often. Eddie was about to reassure him again, but it was Christopher who said to Buck quietly, "Are you scared you're going to mess up?"

Buck glanced down at him with surprise, and nodded, looking a little tearful again.

"Me too," Christopher confessed in a whisper. "What if you don't like my speech?"

"We're going to love it," Buck replied reassuringly.

"What if you don't?"

"Not possible," Buck said, bending down to kiss Christopher's forehead. "It's going to be great."

Eddie watched them, suddenly feeling a little emotional himself. The plan was to get through the day without being overwhelmed by the sheer force of his love for Evan Buckley, but he could feel it creeping in. God damn it, he didn't want to cry during his vows. He wanted to get the words out clearly, in front of his parents, so they could _see._ And hopefully understand.

Buck looked at him again with watery eyes and gave a soft smile. "You look beautiful today, my love."

Eddie swallowed the lump in his throat. "So do you, sweetheart."

"I look good too," Christopher said. "Right?"

"You look a million bucks, kid," Eddie said with a grin. "Very spiffy."

~

They pulled up at the side of the venue and were taken into a back room, where Adriana and Sophia were waiting. Sophia had their flowers in four plastic boxes, and she and Adriana set about pinning them to their lapels, as soft music wafted in from outside.

Eddie knelt in front of Christopher, straightening his tie and smoothing his hair while Bobby did the same for Buck. Christopher beamed at him, and Eddie said quietly, "Are you happy? This is what you want?"

Christopher nodded emphatically.

"I love you very much," Eddie said to him, cupping his face. "Thank you for being there for us."

Christopher nodded again, and hugged Eddie tightly.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Adriana leaned over to open it. Their celebrant, Margaret, walked in, holding a sparkly clipboard similar to Sophia's, with her script attached to the front. She greeted them all with a smile. "How are we all doing?"

"Great," Buck replied, still jittery.

Eddie slipped his hand into Buck's and squeezed it.

"We're nearly ready out here," she said to Sophia. "I'm going to take my place."

"I'll walk out with you," Adriana replied, and gave Eddie a huge, genuine smile. "Congratulations, little brother."

"Thanks," he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Adriana was in a floaty emerald green dress. She kicked a leg up, threw her head back and said, "This old thing?" and then followed Margaret out into the venue.

Bobby was chuckling, shaking his head. "She must've been fun to grow up with."

"No," Eddie and Sophia said together, and shared a grin.

"Okay," Sophia said, clapping her hands together. "Everyone is being seated now. In five minutes, Bobby and Christopher are going to walk out this door, down the left of the seats together, and then stand on either side of the altar. Buck knows the music cue, and when it hits, the doors are going to open and you two are going to walk through them, stand in front of the celebrant and get hitched already. And if you mess this up," she said, wagging a finger in their faces, "nothing bad will happen, but it'll still be embarrassing. So let's get it right first time."

"Aye aye captain," Buck said.

Sophia nodded, consulting her clipboard again, before murmuring, "I can't believe I pulled this off. Honestly, I'm starting to think I should've been a wedding planner because I have absolutely nailed this. All right – I'm going to take my seat. You four are on your own. I will send Bobby a text when it's time for them to walk out. Let's get you two married." She kissed Eddie and then Buck on the cheek, knelt to squeeze Christopher's cheek, raised her eyebrows sternly at Bobby and pointed to her watch, and then left the room.

Eddie let out a breath. "Jesus Christ."

"Everything will be fine," Bobby said knowingly. "Your sisters are stressing you out, so just take a few moments before you walk out to be together, and then… it's a simple ceremony, and then you're married. No big deal."

Buck fumbled for Eddie's hand again and clenched it. "I just know I'm going to mess up my vows."

"Doesn't matter," Eddie said. "I know how you feel."

Buck bit down hard on his bottom lip, letting out a shaky breath. "We should've eloped. I had no idea I'd be this nervous."

"You're going to be fine, Buck," Christopher said confidently.

"At the end of the day, all the people sitting out there don't matter," Eddie said gently. "This is about you and me. No one else. You know that."

Buck blinked rapidly. "I know."

"Besides, I'm going first, so I'm going to set the tone." Eddie leaned in to kiss him. "Nearly there, baby. We're nearly there. Come on, you've run into burning buildings. You survived a truck bomb and blood clots. This is nothing. Just a little public speaking."

"The funny thing is that it turns out I'm deathly afraid of public speaking," Buck admitted shakily.

"You'll be great," Bobby said firmly, as his phone vibrated in his pocket. "Okay. Time to go, Christopher. We'll leave the door open so you can hear the music."

"Thanks," Eddie said, bending down to kiss Christopher on the cheek. "See you out there, kiddo. I love you."

"I love you both," Christopher declared, following Bobby out into the venue.

~~

Buck had been scared before – sure.

But he hadn't spoken in public since the last time he fucked it up – high school – and the thought of having to stand out there and speak in front of a group of people was utterly terrifying. How the hell was he going to coherently and clearly say exactly how he felt about the love of his life?

Eddie was smiling up at him, the picture of peace and serenity. Buck gazed into those chocolate eyes of his – eyes he knew so well by now, better than anyone on the planet. He could read Eddie's mind; knew exactly what he was thinking at any given moment, and right now Eddie was in love and excited, and trying to pour all his confidence into Buck via their connected hands.

He thought about the first day they'd met; he thought about the first time Eddie had smiled at him. He thought about scaling a collapsing building with him in their first week of working together; he thought about meeting Christopher for the first time. He thought about _them_ – their life, their family, their future. His home. His people. What he'd always been searching for.

And calm seemed to seep through him, spreading from his stomach and out, rolling through his limbs, settling his racing heart, flowing through him like magic. It was just _Eddie._ There was no one else. Just Eddie.

They gazed at each other; both on the verge of tears, and then music began to play – a tinkling piano, and Elton John's melodic voice.

_It's a little bit funny, this feelin' inside_   
_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_   
_I don't have much money, but boy, if I did_   
_I'd buy a big house where we both could live_

Eddie's breath hitched. "That's it," he said, swallowing hard. "That's what you picked."

He nodded, bringing Eddie's hands up so he could kiss his fingers. "Yes, my love."

_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_   
_Or a man who makes potions in a travelin' show_   
_Oh, I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do_   
_My gift is my song and this one's for you_

They shared a soft kiss, and when they parted, Eddie said, "Time to go, baby."

"Let's get married," Buck whispered, taking his hand, and they walked out through the building and into the light.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_   
_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_   
_I hope you don't mind_   
_That I put down in words_   
_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

There were two groups of seats, set up on either side of the courtyard. A criss-cross of white flowers were strung up over their guests' heads, and white floral arrangements adorned the end of each row of seats. The courtyard itself was filled with greenery, adorning the rustic brick walls.

Carla waved to them, seated beside Hen and Karen. Albert was there with Chimney and Maddie, who was bawling, holding a tissue to her eyes. Athena beamed at them proudly, holding up her phone, recording every second, Harry, May and Michael seated beside her. They paused at the end of the aisle and took in their friends and family, positively radiating joy.

_I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss_   
_Well, a few of the verses, well, they've got me quite cross_   
_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_   
_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

Nick and Aaron smiled at Buck from their seats beside Steve and Derek, and Milo mopped his eyes with a handkerchief, crying openly. Helena and Ramon had matching smiles on their faces, seated with the rest of the Diaz family, including Aunt Pepa who was beaming proudly, and Abuela, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Adriana was smirking, and beside her, Sophia gestured for them to hurry up.

So they began to walk down the aisle together, squeezing their hands, holding on tight.

_So excuse me forgettin', but these things I do_   
_You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_   
_Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean_   
_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

They took their positions at the head of the aisle, facing each other.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_   
_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_   
_I hope you don't mind_   
_I hope you don't mind_   
_That I put down in words_   
_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

The music faded out, and the celebrant began to speak.

"Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to the wedding of Edmundo Diaz and Evan Buckley," she began, reading from her script smoothly. "It's lovely to see so many smiling faces here today, and it's my pleasure to be officiating this wedding. It's also my pleasure to welcome Eddie's family who have travelled all the way from Texas to be here today, to celebrate this wonderful occasion."

Eddie turned his head slightly, nodding at his parents, before facing Buck again, straightening his posture. A small smile was playing on his lips.

_I love you_ , Buck thought.

~~

"Eddie and Buck have asked me to read and Irish Wedding Blessing in honour of their union," Margaret said, and began.

_"You are the star of each night,  
You are the brightness of every morning,  
You are the story of each guest,  
You are the report of every land.  
No evil shall befall you, on hill nor bank,  
In field or valley, on mountain or in glen.  
Neither above, nor below, neither in sea,  
Nor on shore, in skies above,  
Nor in the depths.  
You are the kernel of my heart,  
You are the face of my sun,  
You are the harp of my music,  
You are the crown of my company."_

That was all Buck – he'd suggested it, and Eddie had agreed readily and forwarded it to Margaret. They may not have been religious, but they wanted a blessing at their wedding, and Eddie had made a joke about the luck of the Irish.

Margaret paused, looking back and forth between them. "Eddie and Buck," she began. "You are about to embark on the greatest journey of your lives, but it all began at your firehouse, nearly four years ago. Your friends will tell the story about how you didn't have the best of starts, but that rocky beginning paved the way for something beautiful. Your friendship blossomed into love, slowly and gradually – the kind of love that is lasting and eternal. You've built a family together with your son, Christopher."

Christopher beamed at Buck from his place beside Eddie.

"Please take each other's hands," Margaret said, and Buck stepped towards Eddie, clasping his outstretched hands. "These are the hands of your best friend; your eternal love. These are the hands that you trust with your life and your heart. These are the hands of the man who will give you strength and support throughout your lives together. These are the hands that will give you comfort and passionate love like no other - and lastly, these are the hands that will still be reaching for yours, many years from now."

Eddie's thumbs slid over the backs of Buck's hands. They smiled at each other. There was nobody else in the room; just the two of them.

"And now Buck's sister, Maddie, will read a poem by Nikki Giovanni."

Maddie stood up, smoothing her dress, a folded piece of paper clasped in her hand. She made her way up to the front, and Margaret handed her the microphone. Buck felt that pesky lump lodge itself in the back of his throat again, his eyes prickling with tears.

"Hi," Maddie whispered to them, and Eddie laughed, beaming at her. He hooked his arm through Buck's, one hand wrapped around his elbow, the other loosely grasping his fingers.

Maddie paused to centre herself, and then began.

_"I came to the crowd seeking friends  
_ _I came to the crowd seeking love  
I came to the crowd for understanding_

_I found you_

_I came to the crowd to weep  
I came to the crowd to laugh_

_You dried my tears  
You shared my happiness_

_I went from the crowd seeking you  
I went from the crowd seeking me  
I went from the crowd forever_

_You came, too."_

Tears were burning in his eyes. Maddie turned to him, nodding seriously, on the verge of tears herself. "I love you," she said to him, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"I love you too," he whispered in return, trying to hold it together, but knowing Christopher was next.

~~

"And now Eddie and Buck's son, Christopher, has prepared a reading of his own," Margaret said, and handed Bobby the microphone.

Bobby kneeled as Christopher stepped up to him, holding the microphone out so he could speak into it.

"When I was seven, we moved to Los Angeles," he began, casting a quick look at the group. "I was scared, because I was going to go to a new school and have to make all new friends. Dad was going to have to make all new friends as well. And then there was a big earthquake, and I was stuck at the school all day, waiting for my Dad to come pick me up. When he came, he had a new friend with him, and that's when I met Buck." Christopher looked up at Buck with a bright smile, and Buck – who had been holding it together so well – choked back a sob.

"Buck was my first best friend here in Los Angeles. Dad and Buck have been like two peas in a pod as long as we've been here, and the three of us go on big adventures together. Like to the magic beach," he said, glancing up at Eddie again, who grinned. "Buck makes us both happy. He was the missing piece of our family that we had been looking for. I wanted them to fall in love because I don't think they'd be happy with anyone but each other, and then they _did_ fall in love, but they thought I didn't know. But _I did._ "

At that, there was a ripple of laughter through the crowd.

"Dad was worried that it might be too soon for me, but I know that Buck is not a replacement for my Mom. He's the gift she left for me, because she knew I was going to need someone to love." Christopher glanced up at them again, his voice quavering a little. "My Dad and I love Buck the most of anyone, and I know we've got so many adventures in our future, and I can't wait. Thank you."

Eddie was on the verge of tears as he knelt to embrace Christopher. "That was beautiful," he said in his ear. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Daddy," Christopher replied, and when they parted, Buck picked him up for a hug, kissing his cheek. Eddie couldn't hear what he said in Christopher's ear, but from the smile on his son's face, he guessed it was something wonderful.

~~

Once Bobby and Christopher were back in their spots, Buck and Eddie stood across from each other, holding hands again. Margaret said, "And now Eddie has prepared his vows. Eddie?"

Eddie took the microphone from her, but paused for a second, his eyes fixed on Buck. He finally nodded and said, "Evan, my love."

Buck let out a breath and tried to hold back his tears.

"I have three confessions," he said, much to Buck's surprise. "The first is that I knew I liked you pretty much from the first day we met, and I just… never told you about it. The second is that I fell in love with you way before I tricked you into dating me – I had to work pretty hard not to tell you that I loved you on our first date. And the third is that I knew I was going to marry you long before I asked the question; before our first date, even. I just _knew_. And it scared me, because I've never really had that kind of clarity about anything before, but with you… I just knew." He paused, collecting himself, and said, "I never believed in soul mates until I met you. There's nobody I'd rather be with; nobody who makes me laugh the way you do. Nobody I trust with my son – our son – more than you. Nobody else I want to spend my life with – just you. Just you and me, baby. I love you more than I can ever say. I'm grateful you came into our lives when you did, and brought with you joy, adventure, laughter and so much music. I've got your back, you've got mine, and I love you."

Tears were leaking down his cheeks again as he nodded, trying to swallow the damn lump in his throat so he could say what he had to say.

~~

Eddie passed the microphone back to Margaret, who said, "And now it's Buck's turn."

Buck released Eddie's hand long enough to wipe his face, and then took the microphone from Margaret. He swallowed nervously, shifting back and forth, and then began to speak.

"I was just drifting around for a long time, searching for something," he said, and despite his nerves, his voice was strong. "I didn't really know what I was looking for, so I tried a lot of different things, and ended up at the 118. And then you walked in, and we all know that story."

There was another chuckle from their guests, but they all seemed very far away, and Eddie could only see Buck.

"I said to you once that I've been falling in love with you slowly ever since the day we met, and even now, there are things you do that make me fall in love with you all over again. Like telling me just now that you knew you were going to marry me before you even asked me out, you cocky bastard."

Eddie laughed, delighted, and ducked his head.

Buck smiled warmly at him. "I loved you too. Honestly, Eds… I think I was searching for you. A wonderful man once said to me that you don't find it, you make it – and that's true, but I had to find you first. And we have made it together, you and I… we've made our life together. You've given me the home and family that I have always wanted, and you gave it to me long before our first date. From the day of the earthquake, when you first introduced me to Christopher… when I saw you hugging him in the school corridor, I knew I was home. I'd found you both. You've been my best friend, staunchly in my corner, for years, and I love you for it. I love you for everything that you are, for everything that you've given me, for everything still to come. I have your back, and you have mine, and yes, Eds. You're my soul mate."

Eddie's eyes were brimming with tears. "I don't know what you were worried about," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You always make the best speeches."

"Only when they're about you," Buck replied, and leaned in to kiss him lightly.

Margaret laughed at them. "Not just yet," she admonished. "Thank you for your beautiful vows." She consulted her clipboard, and then began again. "Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love. The rings are circular, like their love, with no beginning and no end. They represent what has been and what will always be. They are made of solid, sturdy material which is meant to survive years and years of hand-holding and tender caresses. Couples wear their wedding rings every day as a symbol of their love. Christopher, would you please present the rings?"

Christopher stepped forward proudly, the box already in his hand, and passed it to Eddie. Eddie opened the box and retrieved Buck's ring – they'd decided on classic gold for their wedding rings, with an inscription on the inside. _You have mine, and I have yours._

"Eddie, place the ring on the tip of Buck's finger and repeat after me - 'I love you, my heart is in this ring, my love is in this ring.'"

Eddie took a deep breath and said, "I love you, my heart is in this ring, my love is in this ring."

"I promise to be your faithful husband, to love you through the best and worst, through the difficult and easy."

He repeated the words, gazing into Buck's luminous eyes.

"I promise you my unconditional love and I give you my unwavering trust."

His voice cracked. "I promise you my unconditional love and I give you my unwavering trust."

"When you look at this ring, remember that I love you always."

A tear slid down his cheek. "When you look at this ring, remember that I love you _always_."

"You may slide the ring onto Buck's finger, Eddie."

He slid it down, where it fit perfectly, as though it was always meant to be there.

And then it was Buck's turn, and he repeated the words clearly, a huge smile on his face. When he slipped the ring onto Eddie's finger, he lifted Eddie's hand and pressed his lips to it.

Margaret smiled at them. "When I look at you two and the lovely family you have created for yourself, I am reminded again of how precious love is. How love brought you two together; how love will sustain you as you grow old together. The love of your friends and family surrounds you both – you are two very lucky people, and I wish you all the joy and happiness in your future."

Eddie tightened his grip on Buck's hands, his heart pounding. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for; the moment he'd dreamed about.

"And now it's my pleasure to say these words to you – by the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband."

Buck swept him up in a kiss, and while their friends were on their feet, applauding and cheering loudly, they felt very far away, and like it was only the two of them, wrapped up in a cocoon of their love.

And then the music kicked in – Buck's choice, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh.

_Wouldn't it be nice if we were older  
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long?  
And wouldn't it be nice to live together  
In the kind of world where we belong?_

_You know it's gonna make it that much better  
When we can say goodnight and stay together_

_Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up  
In the morning when the day is new?  
And after having spent the day together  
Hold each other close the whole night through?_

_Happy times together we've been spending  
I wish that every kiss was never ending  
Oh, wouldn't it be nice?_

_Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray  
It might come true  
Baby, then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do  
We could be married (we could be married)  
And then we'd be happy (and then we'd be happy)  
Oh, wouldn't it be nice?_

_You know it seems the more we talk about it  
It only makes it worse to live without it  
But let's talk about it  
Oh, wouldn't it be nice?_

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem is "You Came Too" by Nikki Giovanni.
> 
> [The Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love](https://youtu.be/cMfrLFirGWc)
> 
> [Elton John - Your Song](https://youtu.be/GlPlfCy1urI)
> 
> [The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice](https://youtu.be/nZBKFoeDKJo)


	3. The Party

After they'd signed the marriage certificate, and Buck signed the adoption papers for Christopher, they stole a moment together, away from prying eyes, just around the corner from the celebration. Buck wrapped his arms around Eddie's shoulders and kissed him eagerly, pushing him up against the wall, elated. They were _married._ He had a gold band on his finger, and they were finally fucking _married._

"I love you, god I love you," Eddie was growling against his lips, clinging to him desperately.

"I love you too," he managed to say between kisses, his hands gripping Eddie's waist.

"Best day of your life?"

"Every day, with you, since the first day we met, has been the best day of my life," Buck whispered, brushing their noses together. Eddie's hand slid up his back and cupped the back of his head, and they kissed again, slower, savouring it.

Someone cleared their throat. "Boys," Athena said. "You have photos to take, and your sisters are going to find you any second."

They broke apart reluctantly. Eddie rested his head on Buck's shoulder, as Buck flashed her a smile. "We're on our way."

She smiled warmly at them. "Take your time, Mr and Mr Diaz."

A jolt of electricity shot through Buck's body, and he pulled Eddie in close again. "I'm your husband," he said, hugging him with everything that he had, with both arms around his back. "You married me, and I'm your husband."

"No take-backs."

"Never." Buck kissed his cheek, holding him close, so filled with love he could hardly speak. They held each other in silence, wrapped in an embrace, until Eddie finally took a step back, cupping Buck's face with both hands.

"You are… _everything_ ," he said quietly. "And I only want you to be happy."

"I am."

"I'm going to be the best husband. I promise."

Buck turned his face to the side, pressing a kiss to Eddie's palm, and said, "You could never disappoint me."

A loud sigh came from behind them. "Hello," Adriana said sharply. "You have _guests_ and photos must be taken. Vamanos!"

Eddie gave his sister a withering look. "Can't you see I'm having a moment with my husband here?"

"Yeah, but you also have obligations, so hop to it!"

~

They spent a couple of hours posing for photographs down near the beach with Christopher, Bobby, Maddie and Chimney, and Eddie's immediate family. By the time they arrived back at the venue it was after six, and everyone was waiting for them, applauding as they walked into the room. The brick building was filled with white flowers and twinkling lights, strung up over rectangular tables. The tables were casually laid out, as the food was being provided from the food trucks stationed outside, and there was an open bar set up in the courtyard as well. The bonbonnieres were set alongside each nametag – a paper bag containing a little bag of rainbow hard candies, and two sugar cookies with their initials on them.

Buck and Eddie made their way in, shaking hands and greeting people. Canapés were delivered to the tables, and then everyone began to file out to the food trucks to select their dinners. The bar was located outside as well, and so everyone was up and chatting, soft music filling the air. Buck's playlist - carefully selected for the wedding.

Buck and Eddie found themselves going from person to person, thanking everyone and taking photos. Eddie ducked over to grab them a couple of burritos from a truck, and that's when they stole away together, to a bench in the corner, and dug into their food.

They were both ravenous, and neither of them spoke as they ate, though they kept exchanging affectionate looks. Finally, Eddie wiped his mouth with a napkin and then did the same for Buck, gazing at him adoringly. "Having fun?"

Buck bit back a grin. Eddie had checked in with him constantly throughout the evening, worried that Buck wasn't having fun on their wedding night. He took Eddie's hand, kissed his wedding ring and said, "Yep. You going to dance with me later?"

Eddie nodded. "What song did you pick?"

"A classic. You'll like it."

" _Unchained Melody._ "

"I told you that's a sad love song, not a happy one," Buck said with a chuckle.

"Have I heard it before?" Eddie asked, sliding one arm around Buck's back, pulling him in close so he could rest his head on his shoulder.

"It's one of your favourites."

"When was the first time you played it for me?"

Buck smirked. "Well, you were a little drunk… and we'd only just started dating. That's when I discovered how handsy you are when you're wasted."

Eddie slid his hand up and down Buck's back, under his jacket. " _I Only Have Eyes for You_ ," he said softly.

"Nailed it."

"Why that song?" he asked, looking a little emotional. "Why not the first song you ever played for me?"

Buck shrugged. "That's the night you told me you loved me," he replied quietly, "and the night that… I realised this was forever. You and me. That song makes me think of you, whenever I hear it… before we were even together, it made me think of you. And yeah, you were drunk, but I knew you were being honest, that it wasn't just the alcohol talking. I knew you meant every word you said – the alcohol just loosened your tongue. When you left, the next day… I listened to that song again, knowing I'd play it for you again on our wedding day. I just knew, Eds. Like you said. I just knew."

"Yeah," Eddie murmured. "We both knew."

They were both silent, listening to their friends and family laughing and chatting, metres away from their private spot. Buck turned his head to the side and found Eddie's lips, kissing him softly, remembering their first kiss, the urgency behind it, the build-up. He'd kissed Eddie thousands of times since then, and each time was as special as the first.

They parted, sharing a long look. "Husband," Eddie whispered, running his fingers over Buck's birthmark. "You're my husband."

"And you're my wife," Buck murmured back, laughing when Eddie shoved him lightly.

~~

"Hello everyone," Bobby said into the microphone with a smile. "If I could just have your attention for a few moments, I'd like to make a toast to the grooms."

Buck leaned in against Eddie, whose arm was draped around his shoulders. Christopher was on the verge of sleep, wiped out, seated comfortably on Buck's lap, his head tucked under Buck's chin.

"Well, it's my honour to be here today as Buck's best man," Bobby said, looking over at them proudly. "It's also my honour to say that I'm the one who introduced them, and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for my excellent hiring skills."

Chimney let out a sarcastic boo, laughing when Maddie elbowed him in the ribs.

"The thing that's been wonderful for me over these last few years has been to watch how Eddie and Buck have been there for each other, through thick and thin, providing each other with unwavering support. When I first met Buck, he was an eager-to-impress kid who thought he was bulletproof – still does," he added wryly, "and desperately searching for his place in the world. He found it with us, but I didn't realise that something was missing until I brought Eddie into the team. They both had a profoundly positive effect on each other – Eddie's calming influence helped Buck to grow up, and Buck's gregarious nature helped Eddie come out of his shell. They fell in love without us even realising – well, most of us," he added, nodding at Athena and Karen, seated side-by-side, who shared a knowing look. "Sometimes, things fall into place easily, like they were always meant to be. I think, in a way, you were both lost, and trying to figure out how to get to where you needed to be. You found each other, you built your family and now you have your joint future laid out before you, to make of it what you will. And I know you'll make it something great," Bobby said meaningfully. "I'm very proud of you both. Would everyone please raise their glasses – to Buck and Eddie."

"To Buck and Eddie," the group repeated, glasses clinking, and Eddie kissed Buck's cheek.

He wasn't expecting his father to take the microphone from Bobby and stand – his heart constricted, and he looked for Adriana, who wore an expression of horror on her face.

"Dad," Sophia hissed from behind him. "Bobby is the only one giving a speech."

Ramon waved her away. "Good evening, everyone. On behalf of Eddie's family, I'd like to say a few words."

Eddie was rigid, his heart pounding, but Buck's hand slid down his leg and grasped his knee, holding him in place.

Ramon struggled for a few moments, and then said, "This has not been easy for us."

"Oh god," Eddie heard himself say, but Buck squeezed his knee reassuringly.

"And I regret that," he continued, scratching his forehead. "I regret that my… short-sightedness has affected my relationship with my son; has made him feel that I don't love him or approve of his choices. Because I approve," he said, meeting Eddie's eyes for the first time. "We approve of Buck, Eddie. One hundred percent. I know we haven't always seen things eye-to-eye but on Buck joining our family, yes, we approve."

He relaxed slightly, and Buck murmured in his ear, "Told you they liked me."

"And we accept you both, for who you are," he continued, maintaining eye contact with Eddie. "And we're proud of you. You're a wonderful father to Christopher, and we know you and Buck are going to be so happy together. Congratulations to you both. Te quiero."

"Te quiero," Eddie heard himself say, nodding at his father, filled with a relief he couldn't quite explain. Buck kissed his cheek, and patted his knee, as if he'd known that this was going to happen.

And then Buck raised his glass to Ramon and Helena, who did the same in return, and Eddie realised, with sudden clarity, that Buck had made this happen. Somehow, he'd orchestrated it.

When he looked to Buck for an explanation, Buck murmured, "I talked to your dad at the rehearsal last night – he said he wanted to make a speech and I told him it was okay. Then he shook my hand and invited us to El Paso for Christmas this year." He gave Eddie an impish smile. "I can't wait to see your hometown."

Eddie kissed that smile right off his face.

~~

They had their first dance under a canopy of twinkling lights, surrounded by their friends and family. Christopher was awake again, eating wedding cake, watching with a huge smile on his face.

The party music kicked in afterwards, and Buck was dragged from person to person – a dance with Maddie, and then over to Hen and Karen, back into Eddie's arms for a song or two and then with Adriana, who stood on his foot 'by accident' not once, but _three times_ over the course of the song. And then he was with Eddie again, for a while, wrapped up in his arms, until Carla marched over to them and demanded a dance.

The night was a kaleidoscope of happiness and good cheer, with all the people they loved. He and Eddie shared a beer with Milo, and then danced wildly with Nick and Aaron and Steve and Derek as ' _Macho Man_ ' blared from the speakers. Athena stole him away for a dance, kissing his cheek, and then Bobby whisked her away with an admonishing look at Buck – that was forgotten, because Eddie had a slice of cake with two spoons, and they sat down to share it, watching Christopher dance with his cousins.

And then it was time for them to leave, and Eddie kneeled in front of Christopher and said, "Okay, we'll see you in the morning for breakfast. We'll go and have pancakes at the beach; Buck and I will be there to pick you up at 9am."

"Okay," Christopher agreed, sniffling when Eddie lifted him up into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, kiddo," Eddie said, and passed him over to Buck. "Say goodbye to your father."

_Father._ God, he was Christopher's father now. It didn't feel real. He gave him a huge hug and kissed his cheek, before setting him back down on the ground. "Have a great time with your grandparents," he said. "If you're good, I'll slip you an extra pancake in the morning."

"No, you won't," Eddie said quickly.

Christopher looked up at Buck, who nodded and mouthed, _Yes, I will._

They said their goodbyes and walked out hand-in-hand through their ecstatic friends, to where the Rolls Royce was waiting for them. They slid into the backseat, and as they drove away, the roof of the car lit up with tiny LED lights to imitate the stars. Eddie gazed up at them, the light illuminating his gorgeous face, so Buck held up his phone and snapped a picture of him.

Eddie turned to him with a smile, leaning in so they could kiss.

~

They were staying in a suite at the Hilton, and they checked into their room to find rose petals on the bed and a complimentary bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Buck was examining the bottle when he realised that Eddie was dimming the lights, and he glanced over his shoulder to find his husband slowly untying his tie, gazing over at him with a soft smile on his face.

So Buck slipped out of his jacket and laid it over the back of a chair, and kicked off his shoes. "You want to order room service?" he asked smartly.

"No."

"You want to watch a movie or something?"

Eddie shook his head, biting his lower lip. "No."

"You want to get your butt over here and kiss me already?"

He nodded, toeing off his shoes, padding over to Buck with socked feet. Buck slid his hands under the shoulders of Eddie's jacket and pushed it off, folding it in half and placing it on top of his. Eddie's eyes were full of fire, and when Buck undid the top button of his shirt, his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

"My love," Buck whispered, trailing his fingers down Eddie's shirt, undoing buttons. "You are so beautiful."

"You are."

Buck pulled his shirt open, sliding his open palms across Eddie's chest, feeling the muscles flex beneath his fingers. Eddie was still gazing at him, but when Buck slid his shirt down and off, he reacted – tugging loose his tie, undoing the buttons on his shirt and pulling it off, and then pausing, running a finger over the bar in Buck's nipple. "What's this?" he asked, biting down hard on his lower lip.

Buck had inserted a new bar for the occasion, black, with a rounded piece that circled the curve of his nipple. He'd been walking past a piercing parlour when he noticed the display in the window and ducked in to buy one on impulse. He'd actually put it in at the venue, ducking into the bathrooms for some privacy in an attempt to surprise Eddie.

It worked. Eddie couldn't stop staring and running his fingers over it, and Buck murmured, "Just a wedding gift for you."

"You know me so well." Eddie leaned in, pressing his lips to Buck's collarbone, reaching down with both hands to undo his belt. Buck rested his head on Eddie's shoulder, stroking up and down his back with both hands, feeling emotional again. " _Are the stars out tonight…_ " Eddie sang softly in Buck's ear, slipping one arm around his waist. " _I don't know if it's cloudy or bright._ "

"I only have eyes for you," Buck whispered in his ear.

Eddie kissed his neck, trailing his lips along his jaw until Buck lifted his head, and they could kiss properly. Buck made a soft noise, deep in his throat, and clutched at Eddie desperately.

"I've got you," Eddie murmured against his lips. "I've got you, sweetheart."

They moved back until Buck's knees hit the bed, and he sank down. Eddie guided him until he was lying down, sliding on top of him, one hand groping his nipple ring. Their lips met again in a hungry kiss, hands roaming, until Buck finally clasped Eddie's left hand and threaded their fingers together, rolling so they were on their sides, his right arm around Eddie's shoulders.

They smiled at each other, noses brushing together. Eddie whispered against his lips, "You're beautiful."

"You are."

He let out a breathy laugh. "I can't believe we're married. We're so lucky."

"I still can't believe you chose me."

"Believe it." Eddie's free hand went to Buck's nipple again. "God, baby, this is so fucking hot; I can't believe you did this."

"I bought a couple of other ones as well."

Eddie's breath caught in his throat. "You did?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Can I… when can I…"

"It's a surprise," Buck whispered, and kissed him again. He wanted to put his lips everywhere, to leave little marks all over Eddie's body, but Eddie surprised him by flipping him onto his back again, pushing him up further on the bed, and straddling his hips.

Buck's hands went to Eddie's belt again, frantically undoing it, gazing up at him with lustful eyes. Eddie grabbed his hands, clucking his tongue, and pushed them up and over his head. Buck let out a breath, licking his lower lip, watching as his husband slid his own hand down his chest, over the tattoos on his ribs, down to his belt buckle. He undid it and pulled it through the loops slowly, tossing it aside, and then undid his fly and tugged his pants down so that Buck could see the words on his hip.

_You have mine._

Eddie reached up and took his left hand, undoing his watch. He tossed it over onto their bags and pressed his lips to his name, emblazoned on Buck's skin forever. "You're mine," he said, pressing his lips to Buck's palm. "All mine."

Buck nodded, trying to pull him in again. "Baby, please…"

But Eddie shook his head again, taking Buck's hands, pressing them to his chest, grinding down against him. "Not so fast."

"Tease," Buck hissed, and without warning flipped them again so Eddie was on his back, grinning up at him. "I want you," he said, nipping at his lips. "Don't tease me."

"I'm all yours, my love. Take me."

So he did.

~~

Eddie awoke first, and found his husband curled up beside him with his head on his shoulder. He studied him in the golden early morning light, running his fingers through his soft curls and down over his birthmark. Buck's left hand was draped on his chest, the gold band glinting.

God, he was the luckiest man - the absolute luckiest man on the planet. He thought of the people who'd used Buck and thrown him away – thought about how stupid they were, how careless. How could they not see the beauty in him? The selflessness? His husband was a precious gem – the most precious gem. Eddie was going to spend the rest of his life worshipping him in every single way he could.

Buck was well and truly asleep, so Eddie pressed a kiss to his temple and gently extracted himself from his grasp. He sat up, reaching for the phone, and ordered them some coffee and pastries from room service. They were going to have to leave to pick up Christopher, but they were going to need coffee.

He placed the order and glanced over at Buck again, who was still sleeping, his arm draped across Eddie's part of the bed. Eddie took his phone from the bench and took a photo of him, and then lifted his arm to slide in against him again.

"Mmm," Buck murmured, burying his face against Eddie's neck.

Eddie kissed his forehead lightly. He was so lucky. So goddamn lucky.

~

"Hi Dads!" Christopher called, hurrying as fast as he could on his crutches to meet them.

Buck let out a choked squeak and quickly hid his face.

Eddie pulled Christopher up into a hug, patting his back. "Hi buddy! Did you have a good night?"

"Yeah, it was good," Christopher replied. "Did you miss me?"

"We sure did," he said, helping him into the backseat of the car. "Ready for some pancakes?"

"Yeah! Hey Buck!"

Eddie closed the door, turning to face his parents. "Thanks," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets. "I'll send you guys some pictures from Hawaii."

"Have a wonderful trip, Eddie," Helena said tearfully, reaching out to hug him, and press a kiss to his cheek. "We had a lovely night. It was such a beautiful wedding."

He nodded. "We had a great time. Thank you for your speech," he said to Ramon, who clasped his shoulder.

"We really are proud of you," he said gruffly. "And we really do like Buck."

Eddie smiled. "Everyone likes Buck," he replied, casting an affectionate look over to the car. "I'll be in touch. Safe trip home, okay?"

Ramon held out his hand and Eddie shook it, nodding at them both before climbing into the driver's seat of his truck. "Okay," he said to Buck and Christopher. "Let's go get some pancakes, and then we have to finish our packing."

"Did you have a good wedding, Dad?" Christopher asked.

"We had a great wedding," Eddie replied, reaching out to squeeze Buck's knee. "And we're about to have an even better honeymoon."

  
**~*~*~*~**

**Christopher**

Hawaii was _incredible._

From his window seat, he could see how blue the ocean was – the most sparkling blue he'd ever seen in his whole life. He was pressed up against the window, face smushed against the glass, staring at the emerald green islands below in wonder.

It was even better on the ground. They had a Jeep, and Buck drove them to the beach before they even checked into their hotel – just so he could see it; see the water, see how blue it was with his own two eyes. And then they dropped their stuff off at the hotel, changed into their swimmers and headed straight for the sand. There were a lot of people around, so Buck carried him, and Dad relaxed on the sand while he and Buck went into the water for the first time.

It was amazing, so cold and nice even though it was a warm day, and the waves weren't crashing like they did sometimes in Los Angeles. He could stand on the sandy floor, holding Buck's hands, and clearly see his toes in the white sand below.

Their first few days were filled with adventure. They drove their Jeep all over the island, exploring different beaches, swimming, and snorkelling. Christopher even had a surfing lesson on the beach in Waikiki – Buck swam out with them on a board of his own. His birthday present from Christopher (and Dad) had been a Go-Pro, so he recorded Christopher surfing from his board, cheering him on while Dad took pictures of them from afar with his fancy camera.

The coolest thing was when they went to Jurassic Park – well, Dad explained it was where they filmed it but it was still _the place_ , and as they stood in the valley where the dinosaurs had stampeded, he could see it so clearly in his mind, and it was the best ever. They did an ATV tour in the afternoon, and he was strapped in with Dad while Buck rode in front of them. It was awesome – they went through mud puddles and up and down hills, and halfway through Dad swapped him over to Buck so they could race each other.

One day they went to the pineapple plantation and then another day Buck drove them across the island to the North Shore, where he said all the surfers hung out – and there were so many of them sitting out in the oceans on their boards. Christopher wished he could do something like that one day. Surfers were so cool. They even saw turtles floating in the waves, bobbing near the shore. Dad got down on his knees in the sand and took some photos of them with his camera.

Dad's camera never really left his side. Buck said that Dad had a really good eye for photos, and at night they'd flick through the pictures together and laugh. Christopher knew his Dad was the most talented at almost everything (except cooking), so it stood to reason that he would be good at photography as well.

They went to a luau one night and there were fire dancers and hula dancers. They got Buck up to dance with them on stage, while Dad laughed and filmed him with his phone. Buck looked awkward and out of place, but when the script was flipped and Dad was pulled up, he could actually do the hip movements well, and one of the ladies kept hugging him and kissing his cheek while Buck glowered at them.

Christopher thought it was hilarious, but Buck wasn't happy until Dad was safely returned to his arms.

The next day they boarded a ship – a massive ship, the biggest ship Christopher had ever seen, with the American flag painted down its side. The crew gave them all kukui shell leis and took their picture as they boarded the ship. Their room was on Deck 10, and Christopher had his whole own room with his own bathroom as well and a _huge_ bed, all of his very own! Dad and Buck's room was right next door and they had an internal door, so he could come in and out as he pleased. Dad and Buck even had a couch and a big TV over their bed, and then they went outside to their balcony and looked at the Honolulu skyline.

Christopher said, "Dad, I love it here," and Dad said, "Me too, kiddo," a little wistfully, like he wished they could live there.

Christopher vowed to live there one day.

Everything about the ship was new and big and exciting; there were lots of people and lots of kids for him to meet. The first night they had dinner in the main restaurant and it was big and fancy – the waiters seemed to know that Dad and Buck were on their honeymoon, and they were given a big bottle of champagne and even a cake as a surprise. After dinner they took a walk on the deck, and Buck held Christopher in his arms and said, "One night they're going to turn the lights out so we can see the lava flowing into the sea, and you'll see how many stars there are in the sky. Millions of them."

The next day they were in Maui, and Buck rented another Jeep, and they took off on a winding, twisty road all the way to a black sand beach. Dad carried Christopher into the waves, and they waited for Buck, who was chatting to some people on the beach. Buck finally joined them, wading into the water with the people following behind, and it turned out they were the nice Australians they'd met on their first camping trip at Big Sur. Christopher hoped they had some more chocolate cookies, and later on as they were parting at their cars, they handed over _two packets of them._ They shared one packet on the trip back to the ship, and saved the other for the next day, which was another adventure in the car, travelling all over the island. They stopped at a little town and had lunch, and then Buck bought him a shaved ice all for himself, and he might've gotten it all over his face accidentally but the spoons were really small, and besides, Buck and Dad were being gross and feeding each other.

Buck bought Dad a silver necklace at one of the shops, and Dad led them into this bar that was full of music memorabilia. Buck was picking out some things to buy when an old man with long hair and a beard wandered out to greet them, and that man must've been someone famous because Buck was shaking his hand enthusiastically with the biggest smile on his face, and Dad said to Christopher, "That's Mick Fleetwood."

And Christopher said, "Cool," but he had no idea who Mick Fleetwood was.

The next day they were on the Big Island, and they rented another car and went to the volcanoes national park. They saw steam rising in vents and from the big caldera called Kilauea. Dad had his camera out, taking photos of _everything_. On the way back they stopped into a macadamia plantation and bought a bunch of macadamias – when Christopher asked why, Buck said they were presents for everyone, but he was sure that you could buy macadamias at the supermarket in Los Angeles.

That night, the ship turned the lights off as they sailed past the coastline. They were up on the top deck, and Buck had Christopher up in his arms while Dad took photos with his camera. Buck was _right_ – there were so many stars above them, glittering like diamonds in the sky, and Christopher was even more distracted by that than the lava flowing into the sea. At one point he realised Dad and Buck had been silent for a long time and glanced over to find them with their arms around each other, gazing over at the glowing lava in the distance. They were so close that you could almost hear the sound of it sizzling as it met the water. It was magical.

The next day they were in a little town, but they only got off the ship for a little while and wandered around the village. Christopher had another shaved ice and they bought some souvenirs, before they had lunch at a place near the water. Dad had a big burger, and when Buck pointed out that he had sauce all around his lips, Dad pulled him and rubbed their faces together, so Buck was wearing the sauce too.

That night, as they were getting ready to go to bed, Dad came in and sat on the edge of Christopher's bed and asked, "Are you having a good holiday?"

Christopher nodded and said, "The best. I don't want to go back."

"No, me either." Dad was wearing the necklace Buck had bought him – the medallion hung down underneath his shirt, so Christopher tugged it out so he could look at it.

"What is it?"

"It's a green sea turtle, it means good luck for a long and happy life," Dad replied. "Buck has one too."

"He does?"

"Yeah, you just can't see it under his shirt." Dad leaned over to tuck him in, kissing his cheek. "You're being a real trooper; I know we've had a lot of big days in a row. You tell me if you're too tired, but once we get off the ship, we're going to be on Maui for a few days to relax. You can hang out at the beach all you want."

"Awesome."

The next day they were in Kauai, and Buck arranged for them to go on a movie tour through the ship on a small bus. It was more of an island tour than anything else – Christopher didn't recognise a lot of the scenery from any movies he'd seen – but it was cool nonetheless. That afternoon they found a beach and went swimming, and Christopher found some pretty shells, and tucked them into his pocket to take home.

That night there was a band playing on the ship, so they went down to one of the clubs to watch. Christopher had prime position in their little booth, laughing as Dad and Buck got up to dance together, and then growing quiet, because they loved each other so much, and when they danced together, it was like they were meant to be. It was weird and it made him hopeful to think that maybe someday he could love someone the way that Dad loved Buck.

They stayed on the ship the next day, their last day at sea, and wandered around doing ship things, like going to trivia (which they lost at badly) and to a lei making class. They lounged on their balcony in the afternoon, taking in the NaPali Coast. Buck and Christopher lay out together on a banana lounge, but Dad spent most of his time with his camera to his face.

Christopher was sad to leave the ship the next day but excited when they took a taxi to the airport and hopped on a plane to go to the next island – Maui. They were staying at a big resort called the Four Seasons, and Dad was excited because it had a swim-up bar. Christopher was excited because it had a kid's club, and he would get to do that for two days while Dad and Buck did whatever they wanted to do.

It turned out that one of the days they took a boat out to a crescent-moon-shaped island and went snorkelling there, and that looked awesome, but Christopher had spent the whole day exploring the resort and had even gotten to feed turtles in the afternoon, so he wasn't too upset. The next Dad and Buck didn't have any plans, but he was going to be attending a pizza party at lunch, so he bid them goodbye happily. When they arrived to pick him up in the afternoon, they both looked hot and sweaty, like they'd been running around. Buck said they went for a big walk along the beach.

And then, just when he thought it couldn't get any better, they hopped on another plane and went back to Kauai, where Buck rented another Jeep – Dad said that Buck really liked Jeeps – and they drove across the island to a place called Hanalei Bay, where Buck had rented an Airbnb for them a few streets back from the beach.

Christopher had had an awesome time so far, but spending their last few days at a beach that was almost as magic as the magic beach itself was the best way to end. They spent every day at the water, which was the clearest that Christopher had ever seen in his whole life. He never wanted to leave.

**~*~*~*~**

It was their last afternoon in Hawaii. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted with pinks and oranges. Christopher was having one final swim, and they were seated down near the water's edge, watching him paddling around.

Buck's arm was across Eddie's shoulders, and Eddie's arm was around his waist. They'd be heading back to reality in less than twenty-four hours, and would be back at work in less than forty-eight hours, but that was okay. They were ready to see their friends again.

Buck's phone vibrated in his pocket and he retrieved it from his pocket. "Chimney, again," he said to Eddie, who laughed. They'd both been receiving constant daily updates from both Hen and Chimney as to what was going on at the 118. Buck opened the message, expecting something funny, but instead he read:

_'Last day of honeymoon present – your kid is sneaky, just so you know._ '

Attached was a video, and Buck held his phone out so they could both watch it.

Christopher _was_ sneaky. He'd filmed them dancing to _Chapel of Love_ on their wedding day and sent it to Chimney. Eddie was chuckling, his head on Buck's shoulder. "I can't believe he did that."

"I can; he's a genius and we have to make sure he uses his powers for good." Buck glanced over at Christopher, who was floating on his back, gazing up at the pastel-painted sky.

Eddie replayed the video. "You know, I had forgotten about this. I'm glad he filmed it."

"Me too." Buck nuzzled his cheek. "Did you have a good honeymoon, Mr Diaz?"

"The best," Eddie murmured, passing his phone back. "Aside from your questionable driving—"

"Hey, we didn't drive off that cliff."

"No, we _nearly_ drove off a cliff," Eddie corrected.

"I saved it," Buck said, sliding a hand down Eddie's back to make him squirm. "And Christopher had no idea."

"Oh, well that's fine then." Eddie smirked up at him.

"We might not tell the others about that."

"No, I think that's one of those memories for just you and me," Eddie agreed, looking up at the sky. "Getting dark. Hey, Christopher! Last call. You've got two more minutes."

"No," they heard him complain from the water.

"I'm concerned he's part fish," Buck remarked.

"We're not going to get him out of the water when we get home." Eddie hugged him close. "Honestly, after the tsunami, I was worried. I thought maybe he'd never want to go back in the water, but he loves it."

"Carla's always saying that kids are resilient."

"I guess, but he's been through so much, and I don't want anything else to happen."

Buck ran his fingers up and down Eddie's back and said, "I think he'll be okay, Eds. He's the strongest kid I've ever met, and you're the best dad."

"We both are," Eddie replied, looking up at him. "What are we going to do when we have another one, huh? What are we going to call you? We can't both be Dad. How will we know who they're talking to?"

"We'll just take it in turns," Buck said with a grin.

"A couple of months, do you think? And then we'll look into it?"

"Sure."

"You just let me know when you're ready."

He was ready, but he wanted to give Christopher just a little more time – just the three of them. He kissed Eddie's forehead and murmured, "Time to go."

"Yep. Chris, let's go!"

"Aw," Christopher complained, sitting up in the shallow water. " _Dad._ "

"Nope, come on." Eddie stood and walked down to the water, taking Christopher by the hand and lifting him up into his arms. "God, you're getting big. I'll have to lift some more weights so I can keep carrying you around."

Buck rose to his feet, dusting off his board shorts. "Come on, you two," he said. Eddie set Christopher down on the ground, and Buck knelt so he could climb onto his back. "Up we go, give your old Dad a rest. Hey, Eds, there's a good one – I'll be young Dad, you be old Dad."

"Watch it," Eddie warned, collecting their stuff from the beach.

Buck hitched Christopher up on his back and jogged up the beach, turning to him with a grin. "Come on, old man! Race you to the house!"

"Will you quit it?" Eddie complained, but broke into a sprint, chasing after them. Christopher shrieked with laughter as Buck jogged down the footpath to the road, stopping on the side to wait for Eddie, who threw a flip-flop at him in protest. "Just not fast enough, Diaz!"

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie said, bracing himself on Buck's shoulder as he put his shoes on. "We know who the better driver is, anyway."

Buck knocked him with his hip in response. Eddie slung their bag over his shoulder, wrapped his hand around Buck's bicep, and smiled up at him. "Let's go home, my love," Buck said, leaning in so they could kiss.

" _Ewwwww._ "

Eddie made a face at Christopher. "Get used to it, kiddo. Your parents are going to be kissing _a lot_."

"Among other things," Buck said in his ear, and then said loudly, "All right, Christopher, you're going to list your favourite things from our holiday in order of most favourite to extremely most favourite – go."

"This magic beach," Christopher said instantly. "Number one."

"The kid's got taste," Eddie agreed. "Must've inherited that from me."

"Your taste in Hawaiian shirts notwithstanding."

"Oh shut up, you bought this for me," Eddie retorted as they crossed the road, laughing when Buck pulled him in for another kiss.

And another, as they reached their little house, and then another, as Christopher complained about having to rinse off with a garden hose outside before they let him in.

And then another, later on, as Buck stood over the stove whipping up a quick spaghetti for dinner, and another as they finished packing their bags.

And later, another, after Christopher was asleep, and Eddie was on top of him, tasting of minty toothpaste and somehow still smelling like sunscreen, despite his shower. His skin was warm, like the heat from the sun was permanently baked into it, and his kisses were as tender as always, their bodies pressed together from chest to feet.

And later, as they faced each other, on the verge of sleep, with Eddie tracing a finger over Buck's lips and smiling at him as the full moon cast a luminous glow in their bedroom, and Buck thought, _I love you, I love you, I love you._

Eddie was thinking the same thing.

_~the end - for now~_


	4. Bonus!

First of all, a big thank you to [Ronordmann](https://ronordmann.tumblr.com/) for this awesome cover art: 

And the following are mood boards of my own creation 😊

And a Spotify playlist featuring all of the songs throughout the stories:

[you can tell everybody this is your song](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2UaqCD4KxJBXgYVN9sDUsd?si=Liak11sMQDibo7VSJGExLg)

And thank you to everyone who has been reading along and commenting - all of your comments mean so much to me, and I hope you have enjoyed the ending. 💕

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would also like to say a big thank you to [cnomad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cnomad/pseuds/cnomad) and [tkreyesevandiaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz) for all of their support and hand-holding during the writing of the last seven months - I seriously couldn't have done it without you guys. 💖
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on Tumblr - [woodchoc-magnum](https://woodchoc-magnum.tumblr.com/).


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